The Nonno IRDP run by the development wing of the Mekane Yesus Church has completed a four years co-operation programme with the Norwegian Missionary Society (NMS).
The IRDP is in Benja, Nonno-Benja Woreda, Jima zone. The main purpose of the IRDP is to improve people’s lives through the following objectives:
I. To improve and intensify crop production through introducing different bio-intensive and cultural practices by strengthening extension service.
II. To improve livestock productivity by improving livestock health service, feeds supply through introducing different forage varieties and improved pasture resources use practices.
III. To decrease natural resource particularly forest resources degradation by promoting private nurseries of native tree species and community based land use plan.
IV. To support and promote traditional small scale irrigation practices in the project area.
V. To promote honey production through improving the traditional beehives.
VI. To reduce the incidence of water borne diseases and parasites through improving the supply of potable water by protecting springs.
VII. To build the capacity of target groups by giving intensive trainings in order to enable them sustain and promote the production and management of natural resources.
The programme included 6 smaller villages (approximately 8000-10 000 inhabitants in each).
The IRDP had health promotion and information as part of the programme, but was not involved in curative services.
The report for 2007 showed that the programme had more than filled the quotas for outputs, and the visit to the various programme components proved this to be correct.
The Embassy/Norad group was particularly impressed by the environmental improvement schemes. It was told that less than 20 years earlier, most of the visited areas had been covered by trees, but influx of new groups of people has pressurised the soil. Farmer could tell of 12-13 years of good yields after cutting down the natural trees. However, this was followed by catastrophic loss of top soil due to erosion by erratic and torrent rains, and after this nothing helped they said.
The tree planting programmes to fight further degradation of the soil and systems to recover what had been lost was planned in such a way, that the farmers only got access to coffee seedlings if they at the same time purchased seedlings for trees. Since coffee is a shade plant, the farmers benefited from this.
The outcome of the women/gender project was also commendable. Due to drought and other difficulties, the families had suffered earlier, but the women were now participating in many activities. The visiting group had the impression that the opportunity of forming groups and supporting each other was extremely important.
The small credits schemes favoured women, and a few gave their stories about how they managed to buy animals which had reproduced themselves and given the owner some property. We also heard about one woman who bought two heads of small stack, but both died before paying back. The credit group had covered her loss, and now she was given a second chance. So far the IRDP had not lost any money on the credit schemes.
Women were most proud of being able to send their children to school.
The visitors were also taken to two important water springs that had been secured and made available to the nearest families and their life stocks.
Also here, we heard testimonies about how the water project had improved their lives considerably.
The IRDP leader, Mr. Emana Jetto did not conceal that there still were big challenges with the programme.
The Government is informed about the programme, and was in discussions with the IRDP, and had the responsibility for the schools and health and for the future development of roads.
The last stop in the programme for the Embassy/Norad, was a visit to the Woreda Officer in Alga under which jurisdiction the project belongs.
The Woreda Officer confirmed that the Woreda was very satisfied with the IRDP, but wished for more capacity so that particularly the cattle diseases could be controlled. Reindeer pest was a big problem, and was a threat to the survival of the people of the area.
The visit was far too short to come with any firm conclusions, but the impression of the mission was that the selected components of the project were according to people’s priorities.