Integrated Community Development Association – Ethiopia
[Background] [Vision] [Mission] [Goal] [Principles] [Programmes]
[Achievements] [Life of Orphans] [Dedicated Mother]
ICDA-Ethiopia is an indigenous, not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization established by dedicated Ethiopians and aiming at the improvement of vulnerable communities. It is registered with the Ministry of Justice. ICDA-Ethiopia has an operational agreement with the Federal Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC). It has a Board of Management composed of highly qualified and experienced individuals from different professions. The Executive Director is responsible for the overall direction and coordination of ICDA-Ethiopia programmes in the country.
ICDA-Ethiopia wants to see all Ethiopians well educated, healthy, with food security, economically empowered and able to make decisions at all stages of their lives.
ICDA-Ethiopia is dedicated to working in education, health, agriculture, and income generation aimed at disadvantaged communities. It is involved in HIV/AIDS prevention and development initiatives for women and children with the genuine participation of beneficiaries and active cooperation of development practitioners.
ICDA-Ethiopia has the following major goal: To ensure sustainable development for needy and disadvantaged communities of Ethiopia.
Participation – as a means of building a sense of owning and contributing to sustainable development. ICDA-Ethiopia strongly believes in the genuine participation of the community and all other stakeholders in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of its activities.
Indigenous knowledge – ICDA-Ethiopia considers that indigenous knowledge has a positive influence on sustainable development, hence it gives due attention and priority to the knowledge and practices of the community, where they are not related to bad traditional beliefs.
Sustainability – ICDA-Ethiopia endeavours to ensure the sustainability of each activity through improving community empowerment and participation.
Gender – ICDA-Ethiopia gives particular emphasis to gender equality/women/ in all its activities.
Networking – ICDA-Ethiopia appreciates and encourages a strong bond among development partners. It tries to create networking in a transparent manner with all stakeholders.
Accountability – ICDA-Ethiopia is accountable to the community, government, donors and other partners.
MAJOR PROGRAMME AREAS & ACTIVITIES:
1 To improve primary health services through constructing clinics, providing support, education and training.
2 To provide potable drinking water by developing springs and rehabilitating wells.
3 To prevent and control HIV/AIDS & STIs – here ICDA has been active in educating rural communities using mobile film shows. See donor recommendation
4 To improve formal and non-formal education by raising awareness among the community, building schools, providing education materials and equipment.
5 To ensure women’s development and their participation in the overall development process. As a start, 19 women have been trained in IGA (Income Generation Activites).
6 To prevent harmful traditional beliefs and practices.
7 To engage in food security interventions, by providing training on improved farming practices, credit, expanding irrigation schemes, vegetable production and improved cattle production like fattening, dairy cows development.
8 To promote conservation practices such as terracing, reforestation and related training.
• ICDA-Ethiopia provided clothing and shoes for 52 orphans and exercise books for 40 orphans
• ICDA-Ethiopia provided 68 hens for 17 orphans to undertake poultry production.
• ICDA-Ethiopia has established a small shop at Goshebado primary school. This is owned and administered by the school. The main purpose is to support orphans in a sustainable way by supplying necessary education materials and other items for sale. The small profit generated will help to cover some of the expenses of orphans.
• The primary school at Debele has also started sheep production. ICDA-Ethiopia bought 12 breeding sheep for the school, which are kept under good conditions.
• The rural community has started to collect hay and leaves (firewood) to put on the market to support orphans.
• ToT (Training of Trainers) conducted for 34 participants on HIV/AIDS & STI prevention and control. These trainees – called Front Community Educators (FCE) – are responsible for educating the community and mobilizing for VCT.
• Within three months, 1024 rural people have received education on HIV/AIDS and STI via the mobile film show.
• 1179 people educated in HIV/AIDS by FCE.
• Advocacy campaign/panel discussion on HIV/AIDS conducted in Debre Berhan, with 179 participants from the rural community and government offices, and Ato Tadesse Aynalem, president of Dawn of Hope.
• IGA training given to 69 orphans' guardians and prostitutes.
• ToT on childcare and development given to 75 participants from the rural community.
• 136 breeding sheep provided for 44 orphans.
• Within three months, 253 rural farmers have received Voluntary Blood Test and Counseling Services/VCT.
Getenesh is 13 years old, living in Goshebado, a rural area of Bassona Worana district, 18 km from Debre Berhan, capital of North Shoa Zone of the Amhara Region. Her mother Yeshi died when she was two years old and her father Asrat died before she was born.
She doesn't know her grandmother and father; she has no brother or sister. When her mother died, a willing woman residing in her locality, Ms. Atsede Dagne, took Getenesh in to give her care and support. Living with her guardian, Getenesh does a lot of routine activities like fetching water, collecting fire woods, washing clothes and baking foods.
Together with a boy who is rearing cattle, Getenesh does all the household chores; hence she has no spare time to play with her peers. She has had no access to education since grade seven.
Her guardian is about 70 years of old. 0.5 ha of land is the main source of their food and income. Atsede stated that the yield per year obtained from the farmland is not more than three quintals.
Getenesh desires to complete her education so that she can become a health worker. But she questions herself – how can she cope with the challenges and burdens she faces? She greatly needs strong support, not only materials, but also psychological and social support in order to turn her dream into reality.
Recently, our organization Integrated Community Development Association Ethiopia (ICDA-Ethiopia) has intervened to provide minimum support – three breeding sheep, clothing, shoes and education materials – and she has now started her education.
There are many more children who are orphaned in this rural area. Terefalech Mulugeta is 12 years old. Her mother Asabech Bayou and her father Mulugeta Yeshitila died four and seven years ago respectively. She is now living with her uncle. She was in grade two but unable to continue due to lack of education materials and clothing – and the burden of having to perform the routine chores at her guardian's house. In this academic year, with the effort of the organization, she has been able to restart her education.
Then there is Meles Mulugeta, a 15-year-old orphan. His father and mother died in the same year, 1997.
He is now living with his elder sister and he is in grade seven. He spends the majority of his time doing farming activities like tilling, weeding, cutting, and keeping cattle. Sometimes, along with the other five children who live in the same house (3 male and 2 female), he takes contract work in his locality – cutting of grasses and other farming activities. A certain portion of the money he earns helps him to purchase his education materials and the rest goes to his sister's husband.
No. of Orphans
|
Kebele |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Debele |
26 |
17 |
43 |
|
Goshebado |
11 |
11 |
22 |
|
Faji |
4 |
10 |
14 |
|
Total |
41 |
38 |
79 |
Assisted Orphans
|
Kebele |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Debele |
16 |
14 |
30 |
|
Goshebado |
4 |
6 |
10 |
|
Faji |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
Total |
22 |
22 |
44 |
Items given to support orphans are:
• Breeding sheep
• Clothing
• Shoes
• Exercise Books
• Pens, pencils, rulers, sharpeners & erasers
Orphans before and after receiving clothing.
A typical story is that of Aregewoyne Kassaye, a rural woman aged 25, who lives with her mother and two little children in Goshebado. Her daughter Yelemset is five and her son Sintayehu is two years old. They lost their father, Gebremariam Yemane, aged 26, in 2003 – not by natural hazard or disease but killed by another person. The dedicated mother Aregewoyne has no farmland or other asset to help meet the basic needs of her children on a regular basis.
She tries to earn money by moving from place to place and working on farmland. Weeding is her main source of income. Working in private houses also helps her to cover certain expenses like food and clothes.
Aregewoyne with her two children, Sintayehu and Yelemset, near their house.
She was in grade four, but marriage and the burdens that have fallen on her shoulders in having to meet the basic needs of the two children and herself, means she could not go forward. Now she wants to learn, to be a teacher. However, she and her children need strong support. What will be their destiny?