Development Partners sign an agreement for new project initiative

 By Fasil Wolde Michael

It is disclosed that governmental and non-governmental development partners in the Amhara Region signed recently an agreement for new project initiative.The agreement ceremony was held in Avanti Blue Nile Hotel, Bahir Dar.

It’s indicated that the partners that signed the agreement are the Organization of Rehabilitation Development in Amhara /ORDA/, the Canadian Food for Hunger /CHF/, the Bureau of Agriculture and the Cooperative Promotion Agency.

In the occasion, His Excellency Gedu Andargachew, Vice President of the Amhara National Regional State and Head of Bureau of Agriculture, expressed his conviction that the Market Led Development Project /MILEAR/ will ensure the benefit of the communities living in the project districts, Artuma Fursi and Dewa Chefa.  The interventions that ORDA and CHF implemented earlier have enabled the people in Bati district and its vicinity being self-reliant, his excellence reminded.

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ORDA/NORAD Constructs Tissue Culture Centre with outlay of Birr 13.5 million Birr

By Mulatu Tadele

It is disclosed that Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA) is under construction of tissue culture technology centre in Bahir Dar City with an outlay of 13.5 million Birr secured from NORAD (a Norway based nongovernmental organization).

Currently ORDA is on the verge to complete the Center including construction of green house, laboratory and office infrastructures in Bahir Dar city, Amhara Region. According to Dr.Yeshanew Ashagre, Development Extension & Research Program Director, the center is intended to providing services including multiplication of planting materials for highly demanded species of trees, horticultural and other field crops.

According to his explanation the institute can be used for teaching and research purposes and is expected to be completed and start providing services  with in the coming few months.

The major expected beneficiaries include farmers, governmental and non-governmental and research institutes, individuals engaged in agriculture and natural resources as well as business organizations engaged in development of horticulture and floriculture and beneficiaries of the institute-constituencies, Dr.Yeshanew notifies.

Bahir Dar Urban Sanitation Project to start in 2013

By Fasil Wolde Michael

Mrs. Ursula Langkamp, Country Director for Welthungerhilfe in Ethiopia, announced in the interview held recently that the Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara /ORDA/ will start to implement  Urban Sanitation Project in Bahir Darin January, 2013.          

The Country Director stressed that ORDA and Welthungerhilfe are always taking up very innovative approaches as practiced in the MDG WaSH and the Biodiversity projects. She also unveiled that the long lasting partnership is now going up for Urban Sanitation, which is new for both of them.

Mrs. Langkamp also mentioned a lesson that partners of ORDA and Welthungerhilfe can learn from them: “With ORDA we never got stuck; there is always progress and development. This is the most important aspect of our partnership.”

Read more: Bahir Dar Urban Sanitation Project to start in 2013

EPA/ORDA Fruit and Vegetable Processing Plan under Construction

Fruit and Vegetable Processing Plant financed by Federal Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in collaboration with Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA) is under construction in Deberetabor town.

Ato Wabi Tesfaye, senior horticultural development officer in ORDA, told to Emerta Quarterly Newsletter that the construction of the Fruit and Vegetable Processing plant in environs is extremely essential to creating a sustainable market for apple products as well as for vegetable and lowland fruit harvests in East Este, LayGaint and Farta districts. And, to boosting the fruit and vegetable production in future

Ato Wabi elaborated on ORDA's relentless efforts to extensively introduce and increase apple production in North & South Gondar as well as in North Wollo Administrative Zones on the orchards of the beneficiaries'. Besides increasing income and benefits from its nutritional and attractive market value, he further added that, apple trees being permanent trees fits importance for environmental protection cannot be overlooked.

The senior officer indicated that over 1,080 residents in ten kebeles of three districts are expected to become direct beneficiaries from the processing Plant which ORDA is undertaking the construction of the Processing Plant at a cost of over 1.7 million birr on 2,400 square meter of land obtained from Debertabor Municipality Administration.

The officer further explained that the Processing Plant would be expected to be managed and guided by young cooperative members drawn from project Kebeles of South Gondar Zone. Soon, after the completion of the processing plant installation, he said, 34 (of 14 females) young producers would able to secure permanent jobs.

The Senior officer stressed that the youths would become beneficiaries from the job created and through the process that they will become strong supporter of the environmental protection works through small amount of financial donation contributed by themselves and the finance would be utilized by zonal governmental offices for environmental protection activities which would ultimately support the developmental efforts of the area.

In an effort to rehabilitate the environmental degradation of Guna mountains and its surroundings it is noted that, in connection with this problem the peasants of locality in collaboration with various Governmental and Non-governmental organizations are exerting their utmost effort to avoid the depletion of Natural Resources on and around Guna mountains and to solve the economic crisis created as a result.