A RESILIENCE JOURNEY AND HOP IN BEEKEEPING
My name is Etsegenet Tarekegn. I am a beekeeper, married, and a father of 3. My inspiration was my uncle, who practiced traditional beekeeping. I remember how he managed the bees and the honey harvest I tasted at a young age. As soon as I completed high school, I began beekeeping with one Modern hive I bought on credit, with a little training I received from the local agricultural bureau.
At that time, I didn't know how beekeeping worked. It took me a couple of years of observation and experimentation to see the first fruits of my beekeeping efforts. Gradually, I increased my hives to 18 and was able to earn about 120,000 ETB per season.
The MaYEA Program is being implemented in the Tigray region in collaboration with The Well in Action under ORDA Ethiopia lead in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. The Program provided the target participants with soft skills, essential bee colony management, transitional hive construction, colony multiplication, allied value chain, and community-based beekeeping mentoring training.
Etsegenet, one of the MaYEA program participants who serves also as a community-based beekeeping Mentor and resides in Tahtay Koraro, recalls how the MaYEA Program approached him: “As I was expecting substantial earning from honey harvest, a war erupted in the northern region of Ethiopia in October 2020. The devastation was overwhelming; we lost nearly everything, and many of our bees migrated and died. With the 30,000 birr aid I received from the International Committee for the Red Cross and the skills I acquired from The Well in Action, I was able to rebuild my apiary to 33 hives.
Revitalizing Alemitu's Life and Marriage
"My name is Alemitu Weldetensay, and I live in Bara Eyesus Kebele, Sekota Woreda, Wag Himra Zone. I am married and have one child. To support my family, my husband and I engaged in a local off-farm small grain trading business, and he also worked as a day laborer. Despite our efforts, the income we earned wasn’t enough to cover our monthly household expenses. As the cost of rent and basic needs increased, we faced separation. During this difficult time, I turned to my kebele, Bara Eyesus, and engaged in the local grain trade to survive.
"Nurturing Nature: ORDA Ethiopia's Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Program Achievements in 2024"
Bahir Dar, Ethiopia – ORDA Ethiopia's Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Program (EFCCP) achieved its target by establishing and managing 107 nurseries, including 25 new ones. In 2024, the program produced 7.49 million tree seedlings (88.33% of the target), with 3.37 million being indigenous species. The ETH 1192 project purchased 20,000 lowland bamboo seedlings, while the FLRP project acquired 342,200 seedlings from government nurseries.
"John's Rig WaSH Project Celebrates Successful Completion with Impactful Closing Ceremony"
The closing ceremony of ORDA Ethiopia John’s Rig WaSH Project, organized by WHH with financial support from John Rig and Viva Con Agua, took place on February 27, 2025, at Skylight Hotel. The project, which has been running for eight years in five woredas of East Gojjam, was celebrated for its successful implementation and positive impact on the community.
"I regained hope in life after psychiatric treatment!"
This is the story of Ertuban Biset, a 30-year-old from Nakuteleab Kebele, in Lasta Woreda, North Wolo Zone, Amhara Region. For nearly a decade, she faced severe mental health issues. She was happily married for nine years enjoying motherhood with her firstborn child. She recalled she was pregnant with her second child when her family found out about the ancestral connection she had with her husband. It was shocking to learn that the life she built was about to collapse.
Read more: "I regained hope in life after psychiatric treatment!"