Walta
Oct. 30, 2007
Once a senior government official said that “as we Ethiopians collaborate to fight against invading forces, we should also do the same to extricate ourselves from abject poverty”. Yes, poverty is such an arch-foe that we should join forces to fight against. It is only through collaborative efforts we can defeat it.
There are many local development organizations that have been endeavoring to make poverty a history in our country. Though some are seen to face problems in processing their respective development activities, many are said to be in a good shape. We all should come foreword to support these local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or development agents with their respective problems of trained human power, financial as well as execution efficiency and others.
Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA), Oromo Self Help Organization (OSHO), Relief Society of Tigray (ReST), South Ethiopia Peoples' Development Association (SEPDA), Amhara Development Association (ADA), Oromo Development Association (ODA), Tigray Development Association (TDA) and many others have been known to do encouraging development activities in a bid to build the nation in general and put an end to dependency syndrome in every corner of the country in particular.
Some ten of these local NGOs convened last week at Hilton Addis with their development Partner, A Glimmer of Hope (AGoH), a US-based family foundation. The purpose of the convention was to sign proposal development agreement with the fund provider, AGoH. The convener, AGoH's Country Representative, Tamiru Negeri said on the occasion that his foundation has allocated over 45 million birr (about five million USD) for 600 rural development projects to be executed by its partners (the above mentioned local NGOs) in Ethiopia during the coming 2008 fiscal year.
As mentioned far above, AGoH is not a government assisted or funded organization. It is a family foundation focused on helping the rural poor of Ethiopia to help themselves. Mrs. Donna and Mr. Philip established the foundation. Available information indicates that AGoH has been involved in development activities in Ethiopia with the objectives of providing basic social services to those who are on the periphery of life.
Since launching activities in Ethiopia some six years back, AGoH has funded over 2,500 rural development projects across the country whereupon over two million people have become beneficiaries.
The guidelines of AGoH indicates that to ensure maximum benefit to users, the foundation chooses to work and partner with local development organizations that have already been operating in rural communities.
“These organizations are fully accountable to their beneficiaries and furthermore, we believe that by using existing local structures and strengthening their operational capacities, we will reduce costs and directly channel more resources to those in need.”
According to the guidelines, the foundation will not fund the following:
The local development agents that signed agreement with AGoH are Keffa Development Association, Qellem-Wollega Zone, South-West Shewa Zone, Arsi Zone, Tigray Development Association, Oromo Development Association, ORDA, South Omo People’s Development Association and ReST. According to AGoH's country representative, Tamiru Negeri, where there is no a development agent, AGoH will sign development agreements with Zonal Administrations.
Tamiru said that the allocated fund would be utilized to carry out 50 education projects, 513 water schemes, an irrigation project and 25 human and animal health clinics. Upon completion the stated projects will benefit over half a million compatriots.
AGoH approved the fund for every project on the basis of project proposals put forward by every development partner.
Accordingly, ORDA receives 14.4 million birr whereas various development partners in Oromia take their portion of about 13 million birr. Some six million birr was also allocated for development partners located in South Nations, Nationalities and Peoples State (SNNPS). ReST and TDA get 10.2 million birr for the execution of development projects in 2008 fiscal year.
AGoH has also made official that it put aside some 1.1 million birr as a reserve. Abebech Gobena Child Care Center is also among AGoH's development partners that have received the financial donation. According to Tamiru, the Center receives 225,000 birr for the execution of skill training program to be launched for 200 unemployed young women.
Regarding relationship the development partners have with AGoH, this reporter had a chance to talk with representatives of two senior local NGOs. These representatives have touched on through the interview about the development activities of their respective organizations.
ORDA, formerly known as the Ethiopian Relief Organization, was established in 1984 with the major objectives of providing relief aid to drought stricken compatriots. This local NGO has contributed a lot in saving the lives of many drought victims. According to available information, ORDA has shifted its priority from relief provision to food security and integrated rural development programs since 1997. Through its programs this local NGO enhances the food and livelihood security of the needy in Ahmara State. ORDA is the largest local NGO which is known to have accomplished forest resource development, water, irrigation and integrated agricultural development projects.
Wuletaw Haile-Mariam is Executive Director of ORDA. He said that his organization has been engaged in various development activities of which potable water provision, irrigation, integrated agricultural development, aforestation and disaster prevention as well as rehabilitation projects are the major ones.
According to him ORDA has transplanted over 120 million tree seedlings of various species during the past ten years. “This year in connection with the New Ethiopian Millennium we transplanted about 50 million tree seedlings. Comparing with the previous ten years, this year's project accomplishment can be said tremendous. We transplanted almost half of the entire amount of the past ten years,” Wuletaw said.
Previously ORDA used to carry out 50 and 60 potable water projects annually. However, the project accomplishments of this local NGO during the past five and six years have reached 375 to 450 in number of projects. “In this regard our capacity of project execution has been improved by large from year to year,” Wuletaw said.
ORDA's Executive Director further spoke highly of forest resource development activities his organization has carried out in North Wollo Zone, which had earlier been one of the severely drought hit area. “We are proud that soil and water conservation works have gone very promising. Due to this, once barren mountains have now been replenished with forest,” he said.
ORDA is working with 27 partners of which A Glimmer of Hope (AGoH) is the one. “We have been working with AGoH in water sector for the past three years. During this period the execution capacity of our organization has been augmented at a higher level. Using the fund we receive from AGoH, we are accomplishing 200 to 250 water projects annually. This is a big figure that has boosted the number of beneficiaries in our State,” Wuletaw said.
He further said that the existing relation between ORDA and AGoH “is based on mutual support. Our partner, AGoH, has its focus on problems alleviation of the public.” Wuletaw appreciates the working system AGoH is pursuing. He said the organization would select its partners by judging their track record as a development agent. Those who have public acceptance, those who have registered changes and others who stand for genuine development are the ones that have been given the chance to work with AGoH, according to Wuletaw.
“We have come to know that AGoH has put its focus on public advantages. We observe that it has not any special agenda or interest rather than development. That is why we respect and love it. The limited number of employees, four or five, shows by itself the commitment of the foundation towards development,” ORDA's Executive Director said.
Available information indicates that over one million people have become beneficiaries of various development projects undertaken by ORDA.
Getachew Haile, Head of Water Development Department with ReST signed the proposal agreement with AGoH by representing his organization. According to him, ReST has been engaged in wide ranging development activities since 1992. “We have been involved in cattle rearing, water as well as soil conservation, afforestation, area enclosure, irrigation, credit and saving, education and health projects,” he said.
ReST is working with over 20 partners (international NGOs) in various Woredas of the State with the objectives of alleviating poverty, illiteracy and dependency. “Ensuring sustainable food self-sufficiency among our people is our target,” Getachew noted.
Currently ReST is undertaking potable water and irrigation projects from which a total number of over 300,000 people have become beneficiaries. Getachew said agricultural development projects; safety net programs soil as well as water conservation schemes and afforestation projects have been accomplished in 16 Woredas of the State.
ReST has been working with AGoH since 2002. In the stated period the foundation supported ReST in its potable water projects that provided service to about 140,000 people. “AGoH provided us with over 25 million birr for potable water projects. Their open and transparent way of partnership is exemplary.
AGoH releases the fund donation phase by phase. Every development process should be evaluated by the foundation before the next phase payment is made. The people at AGoH look into our development proposal, approve it and provide us with the requested fund. Our organization is such a strong development agent with 17 years experience that we haven't faced any grave problems so far,” Getachew said.
According to Getachew, the owners of the foundation, Mrs. Donna Berber and Mr. Philip Berber, were pleased with the project execution of ReST. He said the couple visited the project sites before they arrived at this conclusion.
Getachew is very impressed by Mrs. Donna Berber who stayed for a week in remote rural villages to visit women family heads working in their respective farmlands. “She lived with women farmers for a week and saw for herself the lives of the poor compatriots,” he said.
After signing project agreements, the NGOs had discussion. They exchanged views regarding the development activities undertaken jointly. AGoH's country representative, Tamiru Negeri admonished local development partners that they should utilize the allocated fund appropriately for the approved projects in due time.
Briefing journalists on the occasion Tamiru said that his foundation was of the opinion that the partners would work efficiently pursuant to the set development proposal. “Our desire is to pass the fund down to our impoverished compatriots. Our development partners are responsible to do that. We selected every partner on the basis of mutual trust. We searched for and approached them. When we first thought of an agent that works genuinely to the public, we found no one but them. We know their background and the responsibility they have shouldered. We know they are accountable to the people and the government. That is why we selected them as partners,” Tamiru said.
Speaking of capacity efficiency, AGoH’s country representative said that the development partners have been showing good progress. But the degree varies, according to him. “For instance, a partner that received eight million birr last year in Jinka Zone of SNNP State did not utilize the allocated fund in due course. Deficiency in capacity and road sector problems were identified as causes,” Tamiru said.
He further commented that his foundation hasn't discovered any form of corruption with partners. “Our dismay is that the budget year elapses before some of our partners accomplish their development projects. Due to this the people fail to receive the fund they should get in the next budget year."