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.
Success story- Food Security
Abraraw Taye, 45, was one of the very poor farm households living in Mebella village of Lay Gaint woreda, South Gondar Zone. He was one of the beneficiaries of the integrated agricultural development programs of ORDA. Wherever there is Irrigation, fruit and vegetables production, establishment of private nurseries, Abraraw is found to be there.
“My Life is changed”, Said Abraraw
Now he and his family have been completely transformed from being subsistence living into surplus producing farm household. He earns from 30,000-45000 Birr from the sale of its produces only at one production season. During the time of the discussion he had Birr 41,000 in his saving account at the commercial bank of Ethiopia. In general his wealth profile and livestock status have been drastically changed.
Trit
By Kahisay Girmay (ORDA-Lasta)
Farmer Trit Sefiw, 32, a dweller of Yekorata Got, in Erfa kebele, Lasta district. He is married and has one son and two daughters. The land, which is about 0.25 hectare, and that he inherited from their parents as means of survival was never enough to sustain the family’s livelihood. Hence, he has been keeping on leading his family by renting additional farm land from other farmers and sharing the yield.
Believing in changing his livelihood condition, farmer Trit has continued his effort in beekeeping with a single traditionally hived colony purchased with 200 Birr since 2009 G.C. He recalled that his parents had many colonies which left their hives due to unknown reasons”.
He has strived in taking care of his beekeeping activity and stated this situation: “I didn’t harvest much from this hive in 2009/011 G.C as its colonies were split into two. And then, I split them into three hives in 2011/012; I earned Birr 1050 from the honey harvested from those hives”.
When the development agents and kebele administration selected him as a lead farmer to be trained on queen bee rearing training organized and conducted by the ORDA Lasta Lalibela Plan HVC project in 2012 G.C., the colony he had was three.
During the queen rearing training seasonal colony management practices, selection of places to keep honeybees, importance of constructing hive stands and the necessary protective measures against ant and other enemy attacks was included. And following the training, the project supported him in providing materials such as nuclei box, queen excluder for the queen rearing /splitting/, and veil and smoker for effective management of the beekeeping activities.
After received the queen rearing training, he went back to home and split his colonies and obtain six additional colonies and said as follows: “it was impossible for me to buy additional colonies by the current price. So that because of these colonies I could secure Birr 4800.00”.
After took part in practical training held in 2012 G.C and bought modern hive in credit and transferred the colonies into it, he began modern beekeeping practice. Farmer Trit disclosed what he achieved from such practice: “I earned an income 4900 Birr from 70kg of honey harvested in 2012 G.C”. 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 neighborhood”.
Apart from this, as a lead farmer he is expected to train and demonstrate other households engaged in beekeeping business near to his respective communities. Thus, he served as a bee technician. Farmer Trit said that “beyond supporting my life, I have extended the knowledge and skill to my neighbors to multiply colonies and properly manage their apiary. In doing so, he has supported and trained six farmer beekeepers.
W/ro Emebet Kassaye, his wife, has provided support for beekeeping activity. She clarified the support as follows: “as I have possessed experience from the indigenous knowledge of my family, smoking while harvesting honey, ready equipment necessary for honey collection and feed and take of bees during a winter season; sometimes I support him in honey collection too”.
Farmer Trit disclosed his future goal: “here after, I won’t rent and engage in farming activity. And I will plan to lead my life in extensively involving in beekeeping. As I’m well skilled in colony splitting, I don’t need to buy colony for expand the bee rearing.
Deresso
By Getnet Atalie
One of the potato demonstration participants, Deresso Teshome (who is about 36 years old) and his wife, Mitikie Amare, are dwellers of Yesake Deber kebele in Wogera district. They have three children and are successful participants of the potato package demonstration project. Deresso is a team leader of one of potatoes demonstration group with 20 (10 female) members. In the past, he was no more than a traditional potato farmer practicing without applying the full package especially keeping planting space, using recommended fertilizers and improved potato varieties. He used to buy from the local market without knowing the crop's history.
Deresso started participating in the Wogera Agricultural Production and Marketing Support Project in May, 2010. After becoming a member to one of potatoes demonstration group, he was selected to be a demonstrator, and then took part in a training on potato package provided by the project and Kebele Development Agents(DA). He then received 1.6 quintals of jalinie variety potato tubers for planting, 12kg DAP and eight kg UREA inorganic fertilizers. He was able to manage the potato farm based on the package. Compared to what he used to harvest, which was only 80 quintals per hectare using the traditional potato farming practice, he harvested a total yield of 320 quintals per hectare, an increase in production by 300%. He also learnt that the Jalinie variety was superior in quality compared to the local potato in terms of snow damage tolerance, drought resistance, and high productivity per unit area.
Deresso earned an income close to three thousand Birr from the sale of around ten quintals in one-time harvest. Since such success has given him much needed confidence, he decided to remain in practicing the potato package.
The short cut path to wealth creation
By Maireg Genan ( ORDA-Lasta)
Deacon Fisha Zenaw is 30 years old, married and the father of two children. He lives in Kebele 03 special village of” Mehale Deber”. He is the member of Alemtshay Village Saving and Loan Association (VSLG) which he joined in October, 2009. After participating in Plan /ORDA VSL Project, he engaging in different businesses which he managed to make improvements in his livelihood.
The Deacon further stressed that, in 2009 he borrowed 300 Ethiopian Birr (ETB) and bought 36k.g lentils seeded on his farmland and produced 2.5 sacks. He secured 3,000 ETB and paid back his debt. Currently he has bought 28 corrugated iron sheets in an effort in building his new house.
He said “I accessed a total amount of 900 Birr loan from my group and added 200 Birr from my own to buy an Ox by which I used for agricultural farming for sometime then sold 1600 Birr and earn 500 Birr profit after I paid back my debt.” At the same time he said “I borrowed 1000 ETB and added 500 Birr from my own and I was able to earn a profit of 700 Birr. Using this profit he said “I engaged in goat and Sugarcane selling businesses at Neakutoleab Museum Inauguration Ceremony which I profited 300 Birr.” And then he said after he paid back his debt he managed to buy a pregnant cow at a cost of 2,300 ETB, adding 800 from his own. The pregnant cow with its calf is estimated to cost 6000 ETB at the current market price.
During the second round in 2011/2012 decon Fesha borrowed 500 ETB to buy 75k.g lentils seed and sowed it on his farmland and produced 5 sacks. After he paid back his debt, he made profit amounting to 8,000 ETB. He then managed to access tapped water at a cost of 2,573 and collected house construction stone amounting to birr 5,000.
Decon Fesha added that in 2011 he also borrowed 1,400 ETB from the same group to buy Oranges and apricot from merchants. After I paid back my debt he said I made a profit of 700 ETB. Besides, he noted “We managed to develop a very good social interaction within the group. As he said the group managed to save 10,961 ETB in cash from this amount of money 644.75 is decon Fesha’s. He promised to work hard to strengthen the Credit & Saving Union.
“…not to upset the priest…”
Teguada(33), who is a dweller of Shumsheh kebele and a mother of two - a son and a daughter. Since May 2008, she has become a member of the Village Saving and Loan Group. Explaining how she joined the group, Teguada explains: "when we were trained and organized, we didn't expect to gain any benefit; rather we did it not to upset our advisor (the priest)." By using skills gained from the training, she has continued to be involved in saving and loan activities, and now does six savings in two groups by saving 68 Birr monthly; she raises 60 birr for Ikub as well.
Before Securing 500 Birr from saving dividend to engage in informal trading activities, she was taking part in Safety Net Program contributing in labor along with her husband. She recalls the bitter experience she had due to landlessness and the ups and downs that her husband and she went through to be self sufficient. Their ambition to change their situation through hard work has motivated them to strive more. With the initial capital of 500 Birr, she has run small business in various rural small markets. After resolving his financial problem to buy and secure seed, her husband harvested garlic, onion, pepper and other marketable products by joining hands with those who own irrigable land. As a result of this, they have liberated themselves from worrying too much as to how to raise their children, as Teguada remarks.
Teguada is doing her best to make good use of the loan she took. Last year, she gained more than 1700 Birr by cultivating lentils from a 200 Birr loan. Teguada has produced onion and garlic guesstimated around 3500.00 Birr. While she is selling the onion, she has stored the garlic anticipating better prices. In addition, she has purchased and stored different crops worth 4000 Birr to make money selling them in the future at a better price.
Currently, Teguada has saved 2000 Birr from all sources. She has also built her own house in Shumsheh ceasing to live in a rental house. She has raised her capital to 1700 Birr by buying a donkey to transport her goods to various market places. Collaborating with her husband and generating income from small businesses and irrigation activity, she has also owned an ox, two cows and a donkey with its colt.
Explaining about the support of her husband, she says: "he is diligent, positive and honest; he is quite happy with my financial management. He is the one to manage transporting goods bought for profit from distant places." Teguada plans to open a shop in the near future by increasing her working capital.
Community Village Saving and Loan which was initiated in March 2008 has been scaled up in other areas of the region. Lasta Lalibela ORDA/Plan Village Saving and Loan Project is the one that scaled earlier best practices gained in Lay Gayint. Currently, about 1267 Village Saving and Loan Groups comprised of 21775 members have been established and are functional. Excluding their dividends, the groups have accumulated 2,442,724 Birr and enabled 20158 borrowers/10507 are women/ to loan. This paved the way for members to have access to loan to engage in various income generating activities and improve their livelihood. Among the Village Saving and Loan Groups' members who could bring about better change, Teguada Chanie is one.
