The Sweet Synergy: Successful Fruit and Beekeeping Interventions
Lubaba Hasen and Adem Mohammed are a couple living in Kelo Kebele of Bati Woreda in the Amhara region with their seven children. After a short visit to their backyard apiary site, the couple led us—along with Ayalew, Program Officer from thepartner organization PHE, our translator Getu, and me—to their new beekeeping site.
Their voices filled with excitement as they spoke about relocating there soon. Kelo Kebele, where Adem and Lubaba live, is one of the MaYEA program’s target areas under the Debre Birhan cluster of Bati Woreda.
The walk from their home to the farmland takes about 30 minutes, and along theway, I noticed several Mango trees. Suddenly, I paused to ask, “How long does it take for a Mango tree to bear fruit?” Read more
“I couldn’t have done this without their support.” W/ro Asefu Melese
In the rugged highlands of Beyeda woreda, Selewa Kebele, W/ro Asefu Melese, a 27-year-old mother, once faced the daily hardship of feeding her son with no land, no income, and no clear path forward. But in March 2023, the RELIVES project—supported by ADA and implemented by ORDA Ethiopia—became a turning point in her life.
Through RELIVES, W/ro Asefu joined the Mushraw Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) and began saving just 30 Birr per month. Her determination led her to engage in multi-dimensional training sessions provided by the project. These included:
“From Struggle to Stability: Sahile’s Journey to Success”
At just 29 years old, Ato Sahile Shifera was struggling. Without land of his own, he had no access to loans from formal institutions, and could not provide for his family. In search of work, he migrated to Dukem and joined the cobblestone chipping trade. But the job brought him no fulfillment, and he returned home with a heavy heart, still searching for a better path forward.
That’s when ORDA Ethiopia’s CARD II Project entered his community—and his life began to change.
Read more: From Struggle to Stability: Sahile’s Journey to Success
The courage to overcome challenges
W/ro Alemsira Habtamu, a 24-year-old married woman from Sankit Kebele in the Banja district of the Awi Zone, Amhara Region, faced significant challenges after graduating with a diploma in accounting. Living with her husband, a school teacher, and their child, she struggled with the lack of employment opportunities in her field. The rising costs of living put pressure on their family finances. Despite her attempt to start a micro tea and coffee business, it didn’t yield the expected results.
Nigiste Yalew's Journey through Poultry Farming and Forest Restoration
Nigiste Yalew, a 57-year-old woman from Jibasira kebele in the South Gondar Zone, has faced many challenges in her life. She is a subsistence farmer with just 0.5 hectares of land, not enough to support her family. “I often struggled financially and had to borrow money from informal lenders and relatives,” she recalls.
Her situation changed with the arrival of the ORDA Ethiopia Landscape Restoration project, funded by Cartier for Nature. This project selected her for poultry production support, as she met the criteria like being a woman-headed household with low income.
Read more: Nigiste Yalew's Journey through Poultry Farming and Forest Restoration