Current Projects

• GLAD (Gurage Livelhood Agricultural Development) Project in partnership with CHF– Gurage Zone, Meskan & Silte Zone, Silte
• Multi-Purpose Trees (MPT) – 11 000 seedlings distributed
• Apiculture – 140 (70 in Meskan and 70 in Silte) farmers trained and equipped with modern beehives
• Poultry Farming – 225 women farmers (125 in Mesken and 100 in Silte) were trained and provided with 30day old chicks each. Training and construction of hay box brooded system also took place.
• Income Generation – Kebena - 23 women farmers received heifers and 14 women farmers received 3 goats each
• Multi-Purpose Trees (ongoing project) – Buta Jira, Kebena & Silte
  The distribution of MPT seedlings and shrubs to rehabilitate degraded community lands, supplement household nutritional intake and for income generation happens via two ½ acre nurseries (one in Dobi and one in Qatbare).
  * MPT includes papaya, avocado, coffee, apple, geishta, fasilia, afro alpine, acacia, calliandra, moringa…
  

Public Works Project (Ongoing Project) - Kebena

• Hand dug wells – approx. 20 wells are being dug for household use in the Qutbary area and for local nursery use.
• Multi-Purpose Trees (ongoing project)
• The distribution of MPT seedlings and shrubs to rehabilitate degraded community lands, supplement household nutritional intake and for income generation happens via two ½ acre nurseries (one in Buta Jira and one in Qutbary).
  --- MPT includes papaya, avocado, coffee, apple, Ethiopian spinach, geishta, fasilia, afro alpine, acacia…
• Water Resource Management (ongoing project) - Meskan
  GE assisted in establishing organized irrigation groups of 63 local farmers. Irrigation training was given to relieve farmers of their dependency on rainfall and be able to harvest crops twice a year. In addition, some seeds were provided.

Agroforestry – Kebena

Apiculture – Mesken & Silte
12 farmers are being trained as Master Bee Keepers with the aim that they will be able to provide apiculture training with the supervision of experts from the local extension office and GE staff to other local farmers on an ongoing basis.

Past Projects

City Activities

EPA World Environment Day in Addis Ababa

Woreda 1: Butajira

Butajira is a farming community of approx. 95,000, located 130km southwest of Addis Ababa. The land is not as degraded as in the northern highlands, but the rate of deforestation is alarming. To reverse this trend, GE is working to address the immediate environmental needs, as well as the underlying social factors (poverty) that amplify the problems. To this end, the following projects are in progress:

1. Nurseries for the propagation of multi-purpose, fast-growing trees (MPTs)

• Conserves natural resources by stabilizing soil, retaining water
• Helps small farmers through income generation, animal fodder, biomass for energy, wood for construction, fruit production, and fertilizer.
MTP

	Qatbare	Butajira
2004	64 538	107 000 seedlings distributed
2003	183 665	53 145 seedlings distributed
2002	87 500	46 000 seedlings distributed
2001	138 730	120 000 seedlings distributed

Seedling distribution also took place in partnership with the following: in Debre Berhan, with Clean and Green Addis and with the City of Jimma. GE in partnership with Gash Abera Molla Project did tree planting with Hilton Addis.

2. Income generation schemes

• Primarily helps women and children, who walk for hours to fetch firewood and water
• Established women's self-help group of 45 members
• Honeybee farmers association of 30 families established, trained to manage honeybee farms
• First project of women's group: Invest in modern, sustainable beehives, producing 45-60kg of honey/year for sale, compared to the 7kg of traditional hives
• Distributed vegetable seeds and demonstrated sustainable/intensive gardening techniques

3. Efficient wood stoves

• Harvest seeds from forests, tree gardens, trees planted as windbreaks or live fencing for self-use or for sale in the market
• Generates income, also decreases amount of seeds imported-a serious drain of monetary resources

4. Tree seed farm

• Harvest seeds from forests, tree gardens, trees planted as windbreaks or live fencing for self-use or for sale in the market
• Generates income, also decreases amount of seeds imported-a serious drain of monetary resources

5. Establishment of a Small Farm Development Resource Center (SFDRC) - (ongoing Project)

• Functions as a testing center for new ideas, techniques, crops, and varieties at no risk to the farming community
• Helps find new sources of income, food, and employment
• Improves efficiency in farming and marketing
• Greater diversity of crops leads to better nutrition, greater economic independence
• Finds solutions that are ecologically sustainable

Capacity Building

GE in partnership with Trees For The Future held a workshop in Buta Jira for NGO and government environmental workers focused on apiculture, environmental policy, composting and agroforestry.

Woreda 2: Qatbare

A village of 10,000, located 185km southwest of Addis Ababa, Qatbare has a very high level of land degradation. Disease and malnutrition are rampant, but the community is highly motivated and participates in our projects in large numbers.

1. Tree nurseries

• Jointly managed by GE, the community and Woreda extension workers

2. Soil erosion control

• Qatbare suffers from extreme erosion due to overgrazing, wind, and gully erosion
• Building extensive check dams and planting various species that retain soil and water, namely vetiver, willow, vische, poplla, luecaena, sisal, and indigenous plants
Public Works
Hand dug wells –40 wells were dug for household use.

Events
* events coming soon