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MELCA Celebrates the SEGNI and Suba Forest Day |
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Mission |
To work for the revival and enhancement of bio-cultural diversity and realization of sustainable livelihoods in Ethiopia through Research, Environmental Education, Participatory Mapping, Endogenous Development and Conservation of Ecosystems.
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SEGNI (seed) and Suba Forest Day celebration was celebrated at Sebeta town on October 26, 2008. The honorable president of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ato Girma W/Giorgis, gave opening remark during the celebration.Thirty six schools and two youth Nature clubs from West and South-West Shoa and Bale Zones participated on the celebration. |
| The celebration included speeches, plays, cultural songs and dances, poems, horse ridings, exhibition, etc. Over 5,000 people attended and visited the exhibition. The celebration is sponsored by the Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society. Read more |
Training Workshop on UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People |
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MELCA Mahiber has congregated a 3 days training workshop for Sheka Forest Alliance members which was held at Debre-Zeit, Tommy International Hotel starting from 17th to 19th September, 2008. The training was on the United Nation Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People. Hence, the workshop was intended to acquaint the Alliance members with the global issues of indigenous people and to deeply review the declaration and see how it is going to benefit us in preserving the Sheka forest. |
| As a result, the alliance generally considered the document as an important tool to empower the local communities in the effective implementation of Free and Prior Informed Consent which demands them to participate in decision making process that affects their life.In addition, we were able to review SheFA’s EIA Advocacy strategy plan which all the members tried to refine and finalize the strategic document that heralds the biggest step in our future advocacy endeavor. The workshop is conducted by the financial support of Heinrich Boll Foundation. |
Stakeholders Debat on Biofuel |
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MELCA Mahiber has organized a National workshop on EIA and Biofuel on September 16, 2008, at Ghion Hotel, Addis Ababa. The workshop was formally oened by Dr.Tewoldebirhan Gebre-Egziabher, General Manager of Environmental Protection Authority. He warned the participants of the dire consequence of biofuels for food security and as a false promise to development. The workshop was conducted with the support of GAIA Foundation and the ABN. Read more |
Green Heros of Ethiopia |
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Our Director, Million Belay, our General Assembly Chaiir person, Dr. Tewoldebirhan G/Egziabher and the board chairperson, Dr. Melaku Worede have won this year Green Hero Award in recognition ot their outstanding contribution and efforts towards the protection and maintaining of the natural environment. The FDRE President commended them for setting a good example for the benefit of the nation and the continent at large. |
They were among 20 of the awardees of Ethiopia’s Green Hero 2008 award. The Green Award is an environmental award program that has been implemented by a local NGO, called Forum for Environment both at the regional and national level. |
Financial and Watershed Management Training for
Bale Youth Groups
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MELCA Mahiber has been working with Youth Groups in the Bale region of Ethiopia by providing training in entrepreneurship, financial management, organizational management and watershed management. In 2007, Melca began training 15 male and 15 female participants from Dinsho in basic entrepreneurship methods and 9 male and 3 female participants were trained from Goba. |
The same 42 youth participants were brought back during the days of May 21 – 25, 2008 for 2 ½ days of training in financial and organizational management as a continuation of their entrepreneurship training. The later part of the five days was used to begin new training in watershed management. A watershed is an area that is drained by a river or river system. It is very important that watersheds in Ethiopia be managed well and kept clean as they provide water for drinking, washing and agriculture. The training in watershed management focused on utilizing water resources and water conservation.
MELCA uses this training as a tool for environmental advocacy among the youth in Ethiopia. The participating youth are encouraged to combine the management skills they have learned and the new information they receive about the surrounding environment to form their own business. As more youth are trained and educated in conservation and practices that promote environmental betterment and protection they become the nation’s advocates for businesses that are environmentally friendly. The goal is for these youth to become inspired and educated in sound environmental and business practices so that they become the agents of change in their own community toward a brighter, greener future. |
Training on Horticulture Crop Production |
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A training program on horticulture crop production was conducted from May 21-23, 2008 for 30 Manja Community members. There were 14 men and 16 women who participated for three days. In addition, five Development Agents (four men and a woman) from Woreda Agriculture and Rural Development Office, the spokesperson of the Woreda Council, and the head of Woreda Women’s Affairs Office were part of the training program. A total of 37 participants (20 men and 17 women) participated in this training program. |
The major objectives of this training were:
- To divert the current trend of forest encroachment by Manja community towards self-sustaining income diversification agricultural activities.
- To enhance the potential suitability of the physical environment and ecological requirements of Masha Woreda for the production of vegetables and root crops.
- To introduce and demonstrate profitable income diversification through the production of horticultural crops.
- To enhance the commitment of Manja Community to stop forest destruction and develop their skills capacity to produce marketable and nutritious crop
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This training is the 1st in its kind where Manja community members are exposed to modern agriculture training. Such kind of training which is aimed at skill enhancement which increase the knowledge for further personal growth is not only essential but must be a requirement that should considered by both government and partners in development. See commonts of participants. |
Environmental Protection and Capacity Building Training |
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A two day training program (May 22-23,2008) on "The Impact of Energy Saving Stove on Environmental Protection" was conducted in the Sheka Zone, Masha woreda to promote an energy saving cooking stove. The "Gonzye" was tested because it requires less wood for energy and has considerably reduced the pressure on the Sheka forest resources.
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The participants of the training program were all women living in 19 different kebeles of the Masha woreda with large families making them dependent on forest resources for fuel.
"Gonzye" is an improved energy saving stove which is produced and utilized in the Guraghe areas of Southern Nations Nationalities Peoples Region. The stove is constructed from Caly soil, white ash, broken old clay pots, etc. It is estimated that the "Gonzye" stove uses 50% less energy than traditional wood burning stoves. It also reduces health problems caused by smoke from traditional stoves, and reduces the time women spend for collecting wood.
In addition to the above training, capacity building for 60 members of the Menja community was given for one day on the importance, utilization, managment of local community rights to manage and utilize their forest in relation with Ethiopian environmental policy, laws and regulations. |
National Workshop on Environmental Impact Assesment |
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A national Workshop on Environmental Impact Assessment took place on April 16, 2008 at the Hilton Hotel. Participants included Government including Federal Parliamentarians, NGOs and business. The workshop was organized by MELCA Mahiber in collaboration with the members of
Sheka Forest Alliance .The workshop agreed that the EIA process in Ethiopia is very weak and this is dangerous in light of the increasing large scale investment going on in the country.
Read more |
Consultative Meeting at Sheka Zone |
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Two days consultative meeting were held in Masha and Andracha Woredas on December 20 and 21, 2007 with cland leaders and religion leaders to start the culture of resolving conflicts in a peaceful way and pave the way for a dialogue among the two parties. read more |
Regional Seed Meeting at Wolayta |
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The ABN, in collaboration with the Movement for Ecological Learning and Community Action (MELCA) and Wolaita Development Association, hosted a ten day Seed meeting in Ethiopia to explore the issues
of establishing a food sovereign Africa and develop strategies to strengthen farmers’ control over seed, support biodiversity and food sovereignty in Africa.
The meeting was attended by representatives from NGO’s and organizations from Benin, Brazil,
Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. |
Also present was a group of enthusiastic Ethiopian farmers who practice biodiverse farming methods and are involved in saving traditional seed varieties. They were very keen to share their valuable knowledge and experience. The meeting included field trips to small scale farms growing a wide variety of indigenous food crops in the Wolaita District. There was also a trip to the EOSA (Ethiopian Organic Seed Action) seed bank and seed saving project at Ejere. ….for more information about the meeting see the ABN Newsletter. |
Seed Workshop at Kombolcha |
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A one day workshop was held in Kombolcha town, about 370 kms North of Addis Ababa, on 22 December 2007. 38 participants (4 females and 34 males) drawn from farmers of Harbu and Wereillu, Zonal and district level governmental officials, research institutes and NGO's working around Harbu , were in attendance of the workshop. The workshop was organized with the collaboration of Ethiopian Organic seed Action (EOSA), a local NGO that is working around Harbu area read more |
Green Forum 2007 |
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The Green Forum, which comprises MELCA Mahiber,
Heinrich Boll Foundation, Enda Ethiopia, Forum for Environment and PANOS Ethiopia, has organized
a three day public debate entitled "Climate Change,
A Challenge For The New Millennium - Linking climate change, natural resources, livelihood and policies" from the 31st October to the 2nd of November 2007
at the Ghion Hotel.read more |
Culutral Biodiversity Celebration at Bale |
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MELCA with collaboration Saint Louis Zoo and SOS-Sahel-Bale-Eco Region Project had conducted the second cultural biodiversity and Mountain Nyala day celebration on November 4th 2007 in Dinsho town, Bale District, Ethiopia. The main aim of the celebration was to create opportunities for schools Nature club and youth groups to present their works on cultural biodiversity and Mountain Nyala conservation. read more |
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