ORDA and Its Human Resources Development Initiatives!
The Organization has successfully contributed its share in the making of Children into responsible professional and productive citizens.
Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA) is one of the eldest regional Ethiopian resident local civil society organizations that implements multi-dimensional development works.
The organization, for the last 33 years, has been implementing programs and projects including but not limited to; integrated watershed development, forest development, bio-diversity management, alternative renewable energy supply, clean potable water and sanitation, irrigation development, infrastructure development, crop and livestock resources development , supply of improved seed and fruits provision for small holder farmers, as well as on farm activities like apiculture .poultry and other income generating off farm activities for the young and women members organized in production societies with a view to assisting the target beneficiaries to improving their lives and livelihoods.
ORDA has also contributed to the development of human resources in the region. Specifically, in the year 1984-85, the people of the northern part of the country were affected in thousands by the recurrent drought and civil conflicts. In these parts of the country, due to drought and lack of rain fall the harvest was extremely meager and in some areas completely lost. Livestock has also been wiped out and dead at a higher rate due to lack of animal feed and grazing.
Thousands of our fellow citizens were displaced leaving their homes and livelihood behind closed doors, as a result of the famine. Specifically, in the areas of North Wollo and Gondar the population affected by the civil war though there was no responsible body that can alleviate the problem of the affected population. In an effort to solve these critical problem, the opposition who was ruling the country, the Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement(EPDM) by consulting the community proposed to establish a humanitarian organization .After having accepted the proposal few concerned and inspired individuals convened in 1984 and organized the then(1984-1995) Ethiopian Relief Organization (ERO) currently known as ORDA.
At that time, as a result of the civil war and displacement, many children have lost their parents. It was ORDA who supported and cared for children without families. Among others, Bisrat, Mengistu, Ngistie, Serkalem and Luel are to mention a few.
Young Bisrat Birhanu was born from his mother w/ro Yekite Damtie and his father Ato Birhanu in 1986. In the meantime, his mother joined the armed struggle together with her sisters leaving a three years old baby child. However, the baby boy, as a result of the civil war, lost his father earlier and immediately after, lost his mother too. He attended his education up to 7th grade together with other children. After that they were taken to Woldiya Child Patronage center and Dessie Tita Boarding school and finally they were transferred to Gondar and attended their high school up to grade 12.
ORDA starting from 1997-2016 has managed to support more than 100 children and contributed immense achievements in the making of Children into responsible professional young citizens. Bisrat said that, “It is ORDA which laid foundation and provided me with hope and inspiration to achieving my existing position. When we were having nobody to assist us, ORDA covered our accommodation, educational fees, and our tea expenses .Sometimes we participated in the project based works and changed positively our living conditions and status.” Bisrat is a wise young man who realized his vision to serve the people through his educational successes. He has secured his first BA in Economics from Gondar University and has been serving ORDA as a professional and manager for the last six years. Currently, he is a WASH project manager at Dera Woreda.
The mother of two children w/o Nigist Girmay, like most of children supported by ORDA, has managed to make herself a responsible person with her career. Nigist has secured her first BA degree in Psychology in 2007 from Jimma University who has been serving ORDA for the last 10 years to date. Expressing her appreciation about the support given to her -she said, “I believe I will be able to repay ORDAs benevolence, when I can serve ORDA, which educated and gave me all the capacity and when I properly serve its target beneficiaries. In an effort to realize this, I am working hard.”
W/ro Serkie, Ato Leul and Mengistu , a property management officer, a mechanic at ORDA’s garage and a budget settlement officer respectively have made exemplary achievements. They bring about a progressive change. They said, "thanks to ORDAs Human Resources Development Initiatives, we are now happy in our lives."