Project goals
Farming families are provided with food security and an income that enables them to continue to develop themselves. Natural resources are preserved. The role of women is strengthened.
The project
There is a lack of trade and industry in the rural regions of Ethiopia. Increasing agricultural production is therefore the lever for initial development. This is particularly true of streams and rivers, where the irrigation potential has so far been largely unused. Our project in the Seka district, not far from the city of Jimma in western Ethiopia, will irrigate 200 hectares of land with the appropriate infrastructure.
We are using local workers to build the facility on the Gibe River between 2019 and 2021. The farmers do auxiliary work digging and lining the canals and are paid at the local rate. Thanks to this "cash for work" program, they can feed their families better. In total, canals with a length of 6.5 kilometers are being built.
The farmers receive training to learn how to produce vegetables and fruit for market sale as efficiently as possible. They also receive seedlings and improved seeds to enable them to create productive vegetable and fruit gardens. The seedlings are grown in a specially set up nursery, where the training also takes place.
600 families will benefit from the project. Thanks to the irrigation system, they will be able to harvest up to three times a year: corn and vegetables for their own consumption and for sale at the market, while also producing feed for their livestock.
The irrigation system is being built in cooperation with local authorities. The regional government of Oromia has committed to covering twenty percent of the project costs.
To ensure the sustainability of the project, so-called water committees are formed. Their members organize a fair distribution of water and the maintenance and upkeep of the system.
Irrigation infrastructure in Seka
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
With the 2030 Agenda, the United Nations has formulated 17 goals for sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a roadmap for the future that enables a dignified life while preserving the natural foundations of life. With this project, we have contributed to achieving the following goals:
