Ethiopia – Watershed Restoration - Food and Land Use Coalition

Homestead Farmer, Tilahun Gelaye 68, a beneficiary of The Debre Yacob Watershed Learning Restoration Project in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. He says, “I have been involved with the project for 8 years now. In the past I used to live in a small hut, now I live in a house with corrugated iron roof. I got many things from the project: Mangoes Bananas Coffee Lemons Hops Papaya Cows I was able to house properly with advice The difference with being involved in the project is huge, now we are living cleanly and safely. We don’t have to go to the market for fruits to feed our children, and we feel very healthy, we don’t get sick. I have 8 kids. One is studying medicine in Bahir Dar, one is a teacher. Others are married. I have just one son. The project has supported all this. We built a school here in the community. I feel such happiness. In the past there was hunger and starvation but now there is happiness in the area.

Cheklu Fente 59, Head of Watershed assembly committee and beneficiary of The Debre Yacob Watershed Learning Restoration Project in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. He says, “ I have been involved and leader of the committee for 6 yrs now, We do many things 1. To protect over grazing 2. To protect the plantation from being cut 3. Environmental protection, like maintaining the flow of water in the gulleys 4. Forestation plantation 5. Controlling the nursery area 6. We meet once a mont We are volunteers, we don’t get paid. This area was damaged, when I was a kid, this area was covered by forest, then by the time I grew up it was gone, cut down, now it has been restored by the help of this project and the government. I give free service to avoid water shortage, to stop the damage, water used to be scarce and now we can have easy access to water and can benefit from the grass and planting and tomorrow we can benefit from the trees. In this watershed area all of us are benefitting, and the future generation can benefit too. We don’t want to repeat our father’s mistakes. My first success and happiness is that when I used to walk the land it was like walking on chilli powder, it was nothing, now I have this beauty to look at. I’m very happy, I feel like I understand the environment now, there are 80 below me on the committee, and now we have to elect next person and find the right person to carry on this good work. I am so proud of this, this is a global thing, A global problem and we have made a success of our area, i believe this will last forever . Now I think deforestation is a huge problem for our world, We are leaders in this here, finding solutions and showing that they can work.”

Watershed Committee Member Priest Kes Bale Eunetu 32, a beneficiary of The Debre Yacob Watershed Learning Restoration Project in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Photographed by the gulley - he says. “The point of it is to save the land, by planting different types of plants, we can stop the landslides, and save the land, we have planted trees / grasses and we have harvested bio mass for animal fee from this area too. We are rehabilitating by cutting and feeding to animals. It was hard work, before we started saving this land it was just a Valley and nothing was here. We, the whole community planted and worked to get it like this. The community is very happy. And that is assisted by the committee. We can cut the grass and feed our animals. Also, it helps us have a better climate. We now have things like bananas, avocados, oranges, lemons, hops, coffee, all kinds of plants and trees. I am so happy to be part of this.”

Antigegn Wunetu 30 and his wife, Mekle Wunete 27 with son (photographed with chickens) Adisu 7 and baby Simegn 1 yr 9months, beneficiaries of The Debre Yacob Watershed Learning Restoration Project in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Antigen says, “ I have just bought 24 chickens. Before they started the project 8 years ago there was nothing growing here. Since they supported the community I can now grow vegetables, fruits, and chickens. We are benefiting so much, we can eat our produce and sell the leftovers, I get benefit from avocado, hops, mangos, hops, we didn’t know avocado before they brought it here. We used to have a small grass covered hut, now we have a big house. All my expenses are now covered. Before I was thinking we would have to move because there was nothing here, now there is everything. Have 4 children, and they are all involved in the farming. They love it. When they are not in school. They each have their jobs to help with on the farm and we are all enjoying being involved as a family. I am so happy when I am doing the farming, but when I see the beauty of this now green area it makes me even happier.”

Homestead Farmer, Tilahun Gelaye 68, a beneficiary of The Debre Yacob Watershed Learning Restoration Project in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. He says, “I have been involved with the project for 8 years now. In the past I used to live in a small hut, now I live in a house with corrugated iron roof. I got many things from the project: Mangoes Bananas Coffee Lemons Hops Papaya Cows I was able to house properly with advice The difference with being involved in the project is huge, now we are living cleanly and safely. We don’t have to go to the market for fruits to feed our children, and we feel very healthy, we don’t get sick. I have 8 kids. One is studying medicine in Bahir Dar, one is a teacher. Others are married. I have just one son. The project has supported all this. We built a school here in the community. I feel such happiness. In the past there was hunger and starvation but now there is happiness in the area.

Balaynesh Kasa 27, a female farmer and beneficiary of the Debre Yacob Learning Watershed Restoration Project in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Photographed with her avocado trees, animals, beehives and waterpump and her 4 children Eyrus 12, Ambtebal 9, Berekt 6 and Asmara 1 and a half yrs. She says, “What we got from the project was the plants - 8 years ago, banana plants, avocado plants and hops Before we had nothing. When the project supported us we got all this benefit, for example the bananes, the kids eat them and I can sell them in the market, the hops I sell and I buy all the merchandise for the house like coffee, pepper, onions, oil, salt, meat, clothes for the kids, I can buy Medicines when they are sick, i buy all this just by selling the hops. In the past we struggled a lot. Now I can support my family and spend time with my kids (before I was sat in the market every day as a small trader) and I am so happy with this support, it has changed my life and I am so happy. All my kids can go to school now whereas before I might only have been able to send one. I would love my kids to be doctors and go further than I did. I also have a beehive and a water pump.”

Homestead Farmer, Tilahun Gelaye 68, a beneficiary of The Debre Yacob Watershed Learning Restoration Project in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. He says, “I have been involved with the project for 8 years now. In the past I used to live in a small hut, now I live in a house with corrugated iron roof. I got many things from the project: Mangoes Bananas Coffee Lemons Hops Papaya Cows I was able to house properly with advice The difference with being involved in the project is huge, now we are living cleanly and safely. We don’t have to go to the market for fruits to feed our children, and we feel very healthy, we don’t get sick. I have 8 kids. One is studying medicine in Bahir Dar, one is a teacher. Others are married. I have just one son. The project has supported all this. We built a school here in the community. I feel such happiness. In the past there was hunger and starvation but now there is happiness in the area.

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Priest Kes Yizengaw Tamir with his beehives at hiis home in the Debre Yacob Watershed LEarning Restoration Project in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. He says, “Life is so much better now. We have the bees, avocados, oranges, hops, coffee, and can sell the xtra and buy what we need for the family, like medicines and school”.

Balaynesh Kasa 27, a female farmer and beneficiary of the Debre Yacob Learning Watershed Restoration Project in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Photographed with her avocado trees, animals, beehives and waterpump and her 4 children Eyrus 12, Ambtebal 9, Berekt 6 and Asmara 1 and a half yrs. She says, “What we got from the project was the plants - 8 years ago, banana plants, avocado plants and hops Before we had nothing. When the project supported us we got all this benefit, for example the bananes, the kids eat them and I can sell them in the market, the hops I sell and I buy all the merchandise for the house like coffee, pepper, onions, oil, salt, meat, clothes for the kids, I can buy Medicines when they are sick, i buy all this just by selling the hops. In the past we struggled a lot. Now I can support my family and spend time with my kids (before I was sat in the market every day as a small trader) and I am so happy with this support, it has changed my life and I am so happy. All my kids can go to school now whereas before I might only have been able to send one. I would love my kids to be doctors and go further than I did. I also have a beehive and a water pump.”