These days the major challenge to conservation of natural resources, especially the forest is the absence of alternative means of income for some members of the society who depend on the forest and its products for living. With the aim of minimizing this dependency MELCA employs entrepreneurship training for those groups of the society, women, youth and marginalized groups in particular, to help them have an alternative means of generating incomes for their living.

After the training, based on the selection of the trainee seed money and the necessary materials will provide. Until now the trainees are engaged bee keeping, animal fattening, poultry, horticulture etc. will be avail based on business plan of the   Income Generating Activities. The activities are either farm or off farm activities undertaken by beneficiaries with the view to generating additional income to help them improve their living. MELCA’s purpose of being engaged in such activity is to support the disadvantaged groups of the society, especially, women and youth, to generate the income they need for living by being engaged in environmental friendly activities thereby relieving the existing forest coverage from economic need motivated pressures.

MELCA is currently undertaking IGAs at its Sheka and Suba-Sebeta project areas.