"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.
"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.
Farming has been my family’s main income for many years. The training from the MaYEA program changed how we look at beekeeping. Now, I am fully focused on beekeeping.
I’m Lubaba Hassen, and I live in Amhara Region, Oromia special zone, Bati woreda, specifically in kuni village Kuni village with my wonderful husband and our five amazing kids. We mainly depend on farming, focusing on growing cereal crops. As my husband’s partner in farming, I helped out with the crops, but honestly, our income was just enough to get by. I hadn’t thought much about other ways to earn money or even consider beekeeping, even though we had the opportunity right on our farm.
"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!"
Selemawit Mebirat's Transformation Through Beekeeping and Farming
Ten years ago, in Eritrea, a dream took place on the outskirts of the Red Sea, where the ideal climate fostered the beginnings of an apiculture journey. This was the humble start of Selemawit Mebirat, who, alongside her husband, dived into beekeeping. Five years later, in 2021, life led them to Ethiopia, where they settled in South Gondar zone, L/Gayent woreda, Yedro kebele 13, Keberomeda near her husband’s family and began to rebuild their passion with five traditional hives with a keen interest in farming and a desire to improve their quality of life.
Read more: Selemawit Mebirat's Transformation Through Beekeeping and Farming