31 October, 2022 (SCORE) Hamer, South Omo, Ethiopia
Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Commission, Coordinating office of Soddo, Spiritan Community Outreach Ethiopia – SCORE has been implementing a project called Hamer Integrated Community Development Project in Hamer woreda four kebeles.
On October 31st, 2022 the funding agency (Horizont3000) donor representatives together with SCORE leadership paid a visit to the South Omo, Hamer Woreda to observe the current status of the project implementation!
During the visit, it was learned that the project is doing very well on its three main components, which are health, education and livelihood. As result of the activities implemented under this project, SCORE together with its partners impacted the lives of so many desperate households via women IGA (Income Generating Activity) programs, construction of new health post and rehabilitation of damaged health and veterinary posts, provision of medicines to health posts, supporting immunization, transmission of radio health programs in Hamer language through Jinka, South Omo FM, provision of motorbikes to the Woreda health center to facilitate and monitor immunization programs, provision of scholastic materials for functional adult literacy (FAL) and Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) students, provision of free basic computer skills training to the pastoralist students and civil servants, provision of agricultural tools for conservation agriculture participant farmers, construction of pond for animals to get water to drink and giving capacity building training for community animal health workers and health development army in different aspects are among the few ones.
Fr. Michael kasia: Executive Secretary, Fr. Kilimpe Garbicha Wako: Superior, Fr. Emmanuel Chia: 1st Assistant, Fr. Denis Mugalula: The Bursar
October 2nd, 2022, Yabello, Borana, Ethiopia
50th anniversary of Spiritan presence in Ethiopia took place. His Grace Archbishop Antoine Camilleri (Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia and Djibouti and Apostolic delegate to Somalia) chaired the event!
Beginning with a Mass celebrated in the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Yabello Borana zone of Ethiopia, where Spiritans began their ministry in the country, hundreds gathered for the festive celebration followed by a meal for the entire congregation and visiting friends.
The talented choir of the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Yabello created an energising atmosphere as the people gathered for Mass.
During this celebration, Rev. Father Kilimpe Garbicha took over the mission of leading the Spiritan congregation in Ethiopia from Father Idee de Lange who has served as Spiritan superior based in Borana for the past 50 years!
Various government bodies at Yabello including the Borana Zone chief administrator and President of Borana University have made speeches congratulating the congregation for the 50th golden jubilee celebration!
Mr. Mammo Beriso (SCORE Development Program Director) was initiated today as Spiritan associate!
As we celebrated these 50 years we felt a deep gratitude and love for each of our Spiritan family who have lived in Ethiopia. Together we have sown small seeds of salvation, with our option for the poor and our hearts filled with love.
We are grateful to all the Spiritan family in the Congregation for accompanying us in this special occasion. We are all united as one Family of God. We are one, we are love!
“…I have now hope to be food self-sufficient and graduate from productive safety net food aid…”
The smallholder farmers in Mirab Abays who depend on subsistence farming have little opportunities to diversify their livelihood options. The life of most smallholder farmers relies mainly on agriculture and/or cattle breeding and are dependent on rain. However, the erratic rain in Mirab Abaya negatively impacted the food and nutrition security of households. Recurrent drought is more frequent in the area and households have been experienced drought every other year where farmers lose crops and livestock,
Low agricultural productivity, limited opportunities to diversify income, limited access to agricultural inputs and technologies, dependency on rain-fed agriculture, small landholdings and landlessness, unequal gender relations, etc are found the major factors that contribute to household food insecurity and root causes of poverty in the Mirab Abaya district.
Most of the households are therefore chronically food insecure and as a result, they are under food aid through the government Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP).
To contribute to the long-term food security of vulnerable households SCORE has been implementing the IFSRC project since January /2019. IFSRC has an integrated project that aims to improve agricultural cultivation measures, the creation of alternative income opportunities, and rehabilitation of soil and optimization of potable waters.
The IFSRC has brought new hope for climate venerable households.
Mr. Koyira Zara who is about 37 years old living with 7 family members in Fetele Kebele of Mirab Abaya district enthusiastically explained how IFSRC impacted his livelihood. He started his speech saying: “when I think about IFSRC I feel myself as a tree that planted near the river”
“…IFSRC gave me happiness. I was a farmer who have been struggling with life feeding my seven family members. Our land was not productive at least to cover household food consumption and as a result, I used to collect and sell firewood and earn a small amount of money. We were food insecure and had a food gap for over 4 months and more during drought times. The project has improved my knowledge and skills on how to improve my livelihoods. I have received training and different inputs crop seed, vegetable seed, and fruit seedlings. I have also received poultry. I have managed all as per the training received and become productive. I used to get 3 to 4 quintals from my 0.5 hectares of land but now the productivity is improved and earning around 9 quintals from the same land…”
The IFSRC brought a significant impact on improving households’ productive capacity. The project approach has built on raising community awareness, improving knowledge, and enhancing skills on improved agricultural practices which contributed to significant changes in household productivity.
The project has an integrated approach that contributed to the diversification of household livelihoods options. The project supplied drought resistance, high yield and short maturing seed (maize, haricot bean, round potatoes Tuber, sweet potatoes cuttings, cassava cuttings, and vegetable seed), livestock farming (poultry, dairy, sheep, and goat), and fruit seedlings. The story of Mr. Koyira witnessed that the project’s diversified and integrated support has contributed to household food sufficiency.
“…beyond the crop production I have planted vegetables and fruit trees, I have also poultry production and benefiting from the egg and vegetable for household consumption. I have also sold some of the eggs and chicken leftover from household consumption and able to buy additional 12 poultry. After feeding them for a while I have sold out and bought goat each ETB 1500 and invest the rest of the money for other activities. Finally, I have sold the goat after feeding for some months and bought ox by ETB 5000 for fattening. I have a plan to sell the ox by ETB 20,000 and I am properly feeding the ox for fattening…”
The IFSRC has realized household income increased as a result of productivity increased and household livelihood diversified. Most of the project targets able to produced crops beyond household food consumption and marketed their products for additional income to the households. Householders are therefore able to improve their food security and living condition. Consistent with this the story of Mr, Koyira witnessed the project increased household income and living conditions.
“…I have sold some of the crops produced and livestock and were able to change our hats with a corrugated iron sheet and bought farm tools. My family living is changing we have vegetable, poultry, crops, potato, etc to mix in our diet. The education we received on dietary practices improved our knowledge and practices so we are better feeding our families. We become food self-sufficient and have hope to graduate from the food aid program.
The IFSRC project came to improve most of our critical problems. Our problem of drinking water is improved we have water access which is essential for our living, vegetable gardening, etc. The water has also reduced our workload. The community used to travel around 1km for fetching water but now this is changed. My wife gave birth last week and so the water is very near to us and I am fetching to support her…”
The project giving due emphasis to community awareness, knowledge, and skills on improved agricultural practices and diversifying livelihood options through an integrated approach contributed to household food self-sufficiency which is one of the best practices of the IFSRC project.
As half part the society, women are the heart of society and family. However, women were not been equally benefited compared to their contribution to the world. Furthermore, Women in rural Ethiopia and peripheral areas are more vulnerable and disadvantaged. That is why, SCORE interventions are focused on rural Ethiopia where economic and social injustice is high, women and children are more vulnerable and need someone’s support. SCORE strives to see ”a society where everyone, especially the disadvantaged, have life and has it to the full.”,
On this special day, we want to renew our commitment to go until we see women are equally benefiting from resources, and enjoy natural given rights. In addition, we want to celebrate the achievements regarding women’s equality.
In the picture; Dore Abebe, from Enchete Kebele Shelle Balayisa sub-village, Dore is one of the women being supported by SCORE “Integrated Response to people affected by locust” project being implemented in South Omo Zone Benatsemay and Hamer woreda.
SCORE has celebrated the International women’s day with women who are harvesting onion yields, which is being produced by women as recovery measures from locust infestation.
Women in Mirab Abaya district are deprived from access and benefit of basic service and development programs due to gender barriers that limit women’s opportunities and women are disproportionately affected by the impact of poverty. Social norms are restrictive of women and girls empowerment and gender equality. The gender power differences has limited women’s proactive participation in household productive resources decision and community leadership positions.
To improve women’s income dependency SCORE has been implementing IFSRC project since January /2019. IFSRC has an integrated project that aim to improve agricultural cultivation measures, creation of alternative income opportunities, and rehabilitation of soil and optimization of potable waters.
The IFSRC project gave due focus for youth and women engagement for economic capacity enhancement.
The IFSRC promoted Self Help Group (SHG) that created opportunity for women to establish their own institution for women only spaces for their social and economic empowerment.
Women Self Help Group (SHG) is an informal institution with the membership of 15 to 20 members meet weekly for saving and lending purpose and apart from business they also discuss on their pressing social and economic issues and look for solution collectively. The space is potential for women to freely raise and discuss issues that they face being women and developed collective voices for safeguarding of their rights.
The SHGs has brought changes in the life of targeted women and member of SHGs devotedly shared their stories how being in group enabled them enhance their economic capacity. Women of Abaya SHGs in Fetele and Zeruse SHGs in Morede Kebele shared their story how the project raised their motivation and courage to voluntary established in groups:
“…we only receive ETB50 from the project in cash forms as lunch allowance for a day long training. However the knowledge and motivation we got from the training is remarkable. Following the training we immediately started saving from what we have and we continued saving and started internal lending from our group saving to start small businesses. Most of members are now practicing small business. I myself received small loan and bought goat for fattening and sold with good prices after feeding for a while. From the profit I earned I paid back my loan and spent some for my household consumption. I kept the principal money to continue the business. Had it the loan amount large I could have sell more and earn more profit. We have seen that our small money is making differences and we now confident to manage large size credits.
The SHG enabled women realized and unleash their potentials. Women have developed more confidence to engage in small business and generate their own income. They have witnessed that they have developed culture of saving, credit and loan and business management which is a fertile opportunity flagging women can manage large credits and business if they have given opportunities. Organized women have also demonstrated capacity for business ideas and generate income for members. The IFSRC SHGs in Morede kebeles are exemplary of managing group business for members benefit. They have shared their story how members discuss business ideas and manage their business:
“…we started by small amount of money from our own sources. After saving for some months we decided to engage in group businesses and we bought ox for fattening. We hired labor to feed and look after the ox. We regularly discuss regarding our business and also closely monitor the progress of the fattening. We have now a plan to sell for our new festive with good price. We will not share out the profit rather we decided to purchase additional two oxen for fattening. We will soon generate more income and improve our capital and benefit of members. We do this all by our own money but with the knowledge and motivation we have got from the project that brought us together, encouraged us to save and provided us training to raise our awareness and knowledge of business.
The IFSRC project business development capacity building ensured that women have proved individual and group business case profitable for members benefit. Moreover their success being together and manage business is challenging the restrictive social norms around women’s business management.
The SHG provided women to meet their fellow women while gathering for saving. Women therefore meet and discuss with each other’s which strengthen their solidarity and collective voices. This is a fertile opportunity for the project to utilize the space for community development and education on project expected results particularly education on nutrition, environment, gender transformation etc for family development and women’s capacity for conscious of their right.
SCORE Training participants on Disaster Risk Management and Transitional/Inclusive Planning
August,19,2021, (SCORE), Arba Minch, Ethiopia
Ethiopian Catholic church social and Development Commission coordinating office of Sodo, Spiritan Community Outreach Ethiopia – SCORE provides capacity-building training for its technical and management staff on Disaster Risk Management (DRM). The purpose of the training is to capacitate staff on risk assessment, risk preparedness, risk response, risk reduction, and risk management, hence equipping its staff to a Humanitarian response program. Currently, SCORE implementing humanitarian response programs in Hamer and Benatsemay.
Under the auspices of 
Women in Mirab Abaya district are deprived from access and benefit of basic service and development programs due to gender barriers that limit women’s opportunities and women are disproportionately affected by the impact of poverty. Social norms are restrictive of women and girls empowerment and gender equality. The gender power differences has limited women’s proactive participation in household productive resources decision and community leadership positions.
