Reforestation and enviromental protection:
This project addresses the issue of severe deforestation and environmental degradation in the Northern Shewa region of the central highlands of Ethiopia. The purpose of the project is to engage rural youth in the environmental rehabilitation and biodiversity conservation of their homeland. The project takes a very integrated approach by providing economic empowerment opportunities for villagers to create income generating enterprises, while at the same time protecting the environment and regenerating the unique biodiversity and cultural heritage of the area. This integrated approach meets the immediate and urgent needs of the community, while simultaneously fostering and protecting the cultural and biological diversity of the area.
This project focuses on the villages of Amoragedel, Moy, and Kasset all within Moy Kebele in Bassona Worana Wereda of North Shewa Zone and is implemented via ADHENO, an Ethiopian NGO which is our oldest and largest partner. It should be noted that this project was initiated at the specific request of a wise and visionary priest from the village of Kasset.
Due to the remote location of Kasset and it's inaccessibility for easy monitoring ADHENO was unable to secure funding for implementing this project in Kasset. Dir Biyabir was very privileged to be able to step in and help. We applied for and secured a total of 3 grants from The Christensen Fund (TCF) to fund several phases of this project. Based on results demonstrated in the first phase of this project, TCF awarded Dir Biyabir larger grants to implement additional phases. All phases of the project were funded solely by TCF via grants given to Dir Biyabir. We partnered with ADHENO as our sole local partner to implement this project. Over 300,000 trees were planted over the 3 phases of this project, with a focus on indigenous trees.
- Phase 1 was implemented in the village of Kasset in Moy kebele based on a TCF grant of $24,500 USD that Dir Biyabir won in October 2008.​​​
- Phase 2 was also implemented in Kasset and expanded on the accomplishments of Phase 1 and was funded via a TCF grant of $25,000 USD that Dir Biyabir won in April 2010.
- Phase 3 was implemented in the villages of Amoragedel, Moy, and Kasset, all within Moy Kebele. It was funded via a TCF grant of $86,300 USD that Dir Biyabir won in November 2012. Implementation period runs from January 2013 to December 2014.
The reforestation program is based on ADHENO's award-winning Gudifetcha of Trees program in which local farmers and villagers participate by adopting a tree and being responsible for it's care and survival. The success of reforestation initiatives is highly dependant on the sustained care given to tree seedlings after they are planted. ADHENO's highly successful approach to reforestation leverages the Ethiopian tradition of "Gudifecha" (i.e. adoption of children) to foster a sense of caring and protection of tree seedlings among local farmers and villagers. As incentive, villagers are compensated for trees that survive and are thus able to earn some much needed income. No incentive is given for planting Eucalyptus trees, as the project focuses on indigenous trees.
Landscape of Moyi Kebele.
