Strengthening Local Institutions in Dawuro Zone - A Pathway to Sustainable

Community Development Year One Report: September 2021 to August 2022

Project Title: Strengthening Local Institutions in Dawuro Zone - A Pathway to Sustainable Community
Development

Project duration: 3 years (1st of September 2021 to 31st of August 2024)

Reporting period of this report: -Year one report (September 2021 to August 2022)

Name of the project: Strengthening Local Institutions in Dawuro Zone - A Pathway to Sustainable
Community Development Project

Location of the project: South-West Ethiopia Peoples’ region, Ethiopia

Implementing Agency: Send a Cow Ethiopia

Project budget: 31,088,222 ETB

Overall project outcome: Thriving and Sustainable Dawuro

Project beneficiary: currently the project working with 224 self-help groups (SHG) and 70% of members
are women, in recognition of the fact that they experience multiple layers of disadvantage. Each SHG
have a minimum of 25 members. The members are smallholder farmers lived in Dawuro zone, Ethiopia.
A total of 5,600 SHG members (33,600 people) from 24 kebeles across 6 districts of Dawuro Zone in
South-West Ethiopia Peoples’ region. In addition, those established 224 SHG organized in to 30 cluster
level associations (CLA).

The project beneficiary families were identified through a participatory community-led process
facilitated by SACE. Selection focused on households with high levels of vulnerability and marginalization
due to low-income levels, poor food security status, limited access to productive resources and
dependency on less than 0.5 hectares’ land. Other selection criteria included willingness to work in
groups, to learn from others and to share best practices with the wider community. The project
implemented and overseen by SAC Ethiopia (SACE) coordinating SACE’s project staff, the Dawuro
Development Association, 30 Kebele administrators, community leaders and the local government.

Project strategies: to contribute the development of the Dawuro communities in a sustainable way
through strengthening local institutions like CLAs and SHGs. The strategy is to build confidence,
knowledge, and capacity so they effect change for themselves, targeting farmers in SHG, but extending
activities to the community to widen impact and reach. This project has been designed in a way that
support poor and vulnerable small holder farm families.

Project need: Dawuro is extremely remote with poor infrastructure and service provision. 61% of people
live in poverty and with 79% of the population under the age of 30, families have little hope for the
future.
Project Output
Output 1: 5,500 CLA members growing more diversified crops and consume diversified their
nutrition
A total of 4,350 CLA members grown more diversified crops and consumed diversified
nutrition.

Number (and %) of CLA members trained on a) vegetable and fruit production, b) Kg of

Vegetable seed provided, c) Number of fruit tree seedlings provided for CLA members

Cumulative 4,350 CLA members provided with vegetable and fruit production training including
the baseline data. It is 79% achieved against the plan 70%. Meanwhile, for those trained CLA
members provided with a total of 66.5kg of vegetable seed. It is above the year one target. And
the expected target was 1,000 seedlings but we provided 6,710 seedlings. This all the three sub-
indicators shown that over-achieved in comparison with the year one milestone.

Training on vegetable and fruit production: The vegetable and fruit production training were
attended by 1054 (F=70%) individual participants in total. After the training, seeds for
vegetables including 3 kg of carrot, 12 kg of onion, 9 kg of beet root, 9 kg of Swiss chard, and 3
kg of cabbage were given to each SHG member. For their own consumption as well as
occasionally selling them in the surrounding local market, all SHG members began growing
vegetables in their gardens.

Provision of fruit seedlings: Fruit seedlings, a total of 2,900 bananas and 4,020 apples, were
provided for 1054(F=70%) individual members. After the provision of the seedlings, each of the
SHG members planted them in their garden, and all the plants are growing well. In the coming
period, they will consume the products of the plant and market them.

Number (and %) of CLA members participated on dialogues about HTPs, social inclusion,
family planning and nutrition.

Number (and %) of CLA members strengthened and scaled up forage/fodder production,

preparation and utilization

Output 2: 5,500 families diversified and increased on farm and off-farm income

Output 3: Greater inclusive, gender equality on land, food, income, and decision making for
33,000 people
Output 4: Natural resources and ecosystems services are better regenerated and conserved

Project Activities
Output One: Communities practices sustainable management and use of
environmental resources

This output's primary goal is to ensure the sustainable management and use of environmental
resources through community activities. by increasing and raising community awareness about
the use and management of environmental resources, the community can take the lead and
take ownership. Provision of seedlings and promotion of farm system technologies are key
strategies for assisting community practices and strengthening CLAs. 

Training on community water system management: For 57(F=28%) committee members,

community water system management training was provided. The committee members created
their own bylaw, ran it themselves, and disseminated hygiene and sanitation awareness
throughout the community, particularly among water users.

Training on vegetable and fruit production: The vegetable and fruit production training were
attended by 1054 (F=70%) individual participants in total. After the training, seeds for
vegetables including 3 kg of carrot, 12 kg of onion, 9 kg of beet root, 9 kg of Swiss chard, and 3
kg of cabbage were given to each SHG member. For their own consumption as well as
occasionally selling them in the surrounding local market, all SHG members began growing
vegetables in their gardens.

Provision of fruit seedlings: Fruit seedlings, a total of 2,900 bananas and 4,020 apples, were
provided for 1054(F=70%) individual members. After the provision of the seedlings, each of the
SHG members planted them in their garden, and all the plants are growing well. In the coming
period, they will consume the products of the plant and market them.

Workshop on Integrated landscape management (ILM) for key stakeholders: A workshop

on the benefit and implementation of the ILM technique was arranged for 94 key government
stakeholders in order to raise awareness, identify, and facilitate land for afforestation. Every
stakeholder backed our CLAs to acquire land for rehabilitation. As a result, some of our CLAs
acquired land and began afforestation for ILM techniques. Land was readied for management
and afforestation by CLAs. Following the delivery of ILM training to 426 (F = 37%) CLA
members.

Training on farm system technologies: To boost knowledge and productivity and to begin
practicing farm system technologies A total of 57 project staff and community volunteers were
trained in farm system technologies, and the best farm system technologies were shared.
Following all of this, the training was cascaded to SHG members, who then used the
technologies in their garden. As a result, the SHG members' understanding and productivity
both improved.
Strengthening cluster level associations (CLA): To assist CLAs to develop their own by-laws
on communal land management, 453(F = 39%) individual members of CLAs were received
training on by-law development. Following the training, they created their own bylaws and
began planting multipurpose tree species on their land they had been given by the local
government.

Training on climate change and integrated environmental management: Training on

climate change and integrated environmental management is provided at community
awareness-raising events. 2,663 people (F=59%) took part in the training. Following the
training, the activity was carried out in each kebele, which increased community awareness. As
a result, people started planting seedlings on their own land, showing that they have contributed
to the reduction of deforestation.

Strengthening and scale-up of forage and fodder production, preparation and utilization:
Strengthening and scale up forage and fodder production, preparation, and utilization is the
most important approach to boost productivity and promote the use of natural composting. So,
the project established six demonstration sites for production of forage and fodder. This site
benefited 3,000(F=70%) SHG members in total and three different forage seedling varieties
(desho grass, elephant grass, and rodas grass) were planted.

Event organized ILM: ILM steering committees with a total of 46 members have been
constituted in seven districts. The agricultural office, the women's and children's office, the
office for job creation, the housing agency, and the forest & environment office are just a few of
the five major government agencies represented on this committee. The members of the
created committee received training before helping the cluster level associations (CLAs) acquire
land for the purpose of managing landscapes.

Output Two: Communities have better understanding on value addition, linkage

with market and social enterprise

The other output is directed at helping communities understand value addition and their
connection to the market. It also aids in the establishment of social enterprises via cluster level
associations (CLAs). The group members and the community would benefit if this resulted in
their gaining economic empowerment. It also emphasizes boosting and maintaining the
smallholder farmers' income so they may have a contented home and family.

Selection of project participants: The project's beneficiary families were identified through a
participatory community-led process facilitated by SACE. Selection focused on households with
high levels of vulnerability and marginalization due to low-income levels, poor food security
status, limited access to productive resources, and dependency on less than 0.5 hectares of
land. Other selection criteria included willingness to work in groups, learn from others, and
share best practices with the wider community. In addition to the previously established 180
SHG and 30 CLAs, we selected 1054 (F=70%) individuals and the formation of 42 SHGs was
done as per plan. The establishment of four CLAs has been completed; others are in progress.
Those established SHGs meet on a weekly basis to share experiences, conduct learning
sessions, and actively participate in project-based training and group activities. Every meeting
proceeding is documented in the notebook properly.
Capacity building for self-help groups (SHG): For 1054 (F=70%) members of SHG groups,
capacity building training on saving and sharing family business, record keeping and
documentation, and group management was provided. This group's capacity-building efforts
helped them to improve their abilities, save money on a regular basis, plan and launch a family
business, administer the group, and record the minutes of their regular meetings. Self-help
groups were given 679 passbooks, 27 ledgers, and 27-minute books to keep track of the
meetings' weekly minutes and other important data.

Establishment of market linkage: Prior operations, such as resource mapping, were carried
out, and training in the production of fruits and vegetables with startup vegetable seeds was
delivered based on the findings. Following all of this, close follow-ups are carried out with the
project's personnel and community volunteers. We organized a market linkage workshop for 17
local stakeholders, including private actors, government representatives, farmers, and
businesspeople, to earn money from production after satisfying the household's food
consumption. As a result of this, the stakeholders shared market information with our SHG
members.

Training on value chain analysis and market linkage: The project technical staff received
TOT training on value chain analysis and market linkage, which was then cascaded to 116 CLA
members and peer farmer trainers on local products. The remaining SHG group members were
then informed by the trained CLA members of what they had learned. Total participants in the
cascading session were 2,663 (F=59%). We saw that the participants had a greater
understanding of the need of marketing and value chain agricultural products, particularly
perishable ones like vegetables, to provide potential consumers in a timely manner.

Output Three: Communities have equal, opportunities, access and control over
resources
The third output is concerned with the equality of communities with regard to opportunity,
access, and control over resources. utilizing capacity-building training to increase community
knowledge of gender, family, and social inclusion. and encourage the community to put the
knowledge acquired via community dialogue into practice. In addition, empowering women
leads to the economic and psychological empowerment of the family and community.

Training on gender and family relationships: Training in gender and family relationships, as
well as THM exercise, was given to 679 (F = 69%) participants who were eligible. Practical
training sessions were included in the curriculum. From the data acquired by the field workers
and community volunteers, the training has increased the SHG members' understanding of
gender. Additionally, the households started sharing duties within the families by using the THM
tool to determine the workloads of family members.

Cascading training gender and social inclusion: To address and raise awareness about
gender issues among project participants. We trained 60 project staff members and community
volunteers on gender and social inclusion. These skilled individuals educate SHG members
about gender and social inclusion during their regular field trips and closely check their
applicability. According to what we have observed, they are more conscious, devoted, and
willing to support one another as well as the community.
Training for peer farmer trainers (PFT): Peer farmer trainers (PFT) are local farmers who
volunteered to undergo training by extension staff, and then in turn trained other farmers and
shared what they had learned. They were supported to host demonstration plots and share the
latest information on improved agricultural practices within their communities. To achieve the
aforementioned tasks, the project provided training for 557 (F=37%) peer farmer trainers on
facilitation, monitoring, and reporting. Based on the training provided by the PFT shared the
information to group members and show up the practical demonstration at their farms.

Capacity building training for cluster level associations (CLA): CLA representatives
provided with capacity-building training on CLA strengthening in the areas of role and
responsibility, resource mobilization, market linkage, SHG management, social inclusion, and
social enterprise during the reporting period. The CLAs used this training to create their rules,
understand their responsibilities, and run their regular meetings. Additionally, the CLAs assisted
the SHGs in managing their members and leading appropriately. Another benefit was that the
SHG members started interacting with and approaching community members with disabilities
and minority social groups at local events. They believed that they were a part of the community
and could do anything that any other member of the community could do. Concerning social
enterprising, CLAs identified the requirements and started the legalization process to be
licensed as legal entities to become social enterprises in the specialization of local products.
Lastly, a total of 2,512 (F=60%) members of the SHG were trained on social inclusion. On the
remaining training titles, 411(F=45%) CLA representatives were trained.

Strengthening of school clubs: To address and increase the understanding of the youth
groups on HIV/AIDS, HTP, Gender and inclusion, farm system technologies. The project
procured and distributed the min-media materials for eight school clubs. After the provision of
the materials, the school clubs started streaming information for students during break on
selected topics besides the entertainment program. According to the feedback provided by the
club representatives, the support helped us to transmit messages to the school community and
fill the material gaps.

Community dialogue on THM, HTPs, social inclusion, family planning and nutrition: After
the provision of the relevant training, community dialogue sessions are held on the following
topics: THM, HTPs, social inclusion, family planning, and nutrition. A total of 436(F = 39%)
individuals took part in the dialogue session. At the same time, the participants started
practicing the concepts by sharing workload within the family members, adding different
varieties of nutritious food to their daily meals, starting a discussion on family planning with
family members, and the participant witnessed to fight social exclusion and other harmful
traditional practices. Moreover, they came up with a common consensus on the concepts.

Training on safeguarding: Community-led safeguarding mechanisms training was provided to

240(F=22%) community representatives. At every social gathering, we saw community
members start conversations and information-sharing to create safe spaces for all local citizens.
Monitoring and Evaluation
To ensure the project activities are carried out as per plan, the desired standard, and the
intended result is produced. In order to achieve the aforementioned, our project team engaged
in the following crucial activities: Weekly visits made to self-help groups (SHGs); on-site training
provided; gaps filled that face during group activities; mentoring of community volunteers; and
other activities. In addition, by becoming closer to our project users, the community volunteers
work on behalf of our project personnel. They attend the SHG weekly meetings and become a
bridge between SHG members and Send a Cow. Furthermore, periodic review meetings with
stakeholders and CLAs were held in the fiscal year. In the meeting, the project progress and
performance of CLAs were reviewed. provided solutions for the challenges encountered.
Partnerships are established with local government structures like kebele and district
administrations for smooth implementation of our program.

Challenges
Selection of Beneficiary: due to the severity of the local issues during the beneficiary selection
phase. The majority of the residents of the zone/area wish to participate in the project and
benefit from it. Influential elders helped us in the selection process as we used SACE selection
criteria to choose the appropriate beneficiary among them in order to satisfy the enormous
demand from the community.
Delayed rainfall: After the farmers prepared their area for agricultural planting, the anticipated
rain during the rainy season did not occur in a timely manner. Vegetable seeds that may be
harvested quickly and require less water than other cereal crops were supplied to project
beneficiaries. The project office also encouraged the farmers to utilize organic fertilizers.
Transportation problems: the regular movement of the project staff to project sites is affected
by heavy rain and floods. So, we are unable to use motorcycles as a means of transport to
reach the SHG members. We attempted to go on foot.
Incidence of pests: pests were found in some horticultural crop varieties. To combat pest
expansion, we delivered training on botanical pest control. Our farmers checked the method,
and it was effective and successful. They benefited by reducing their expenses for pest control.
Establishment of new region: Our project area was incorporated into the recently founded
region, the South-West Ethiopia Peoples' region, during the reporting period. The seat of the
region shifted to a different location, added some more kilometers. Due to this re-signature of
project agreements, re-submission of project-related documents, and explaining our existing
projects to newly hired government bodies, it was a time-consuming, resource-intensive, and
long journey.
Feedback from project participants
 They stated that the SLI project had given them "new knowledge and abilities."
 Participants call themselves lucky because of the different types of training they
received; their minds (ways of thinking) are changed. Some of the SHG members have
changed their dwellings.
 The SHG members are happy as a result of joining the organization and have
committed to repaying the loan on schedule in accordance with their bylaws.
 The newly formed SHG members are eager to start income-generating activities and
earning money and have consented to borrow money from their group (SHG).
 The SHG members participated in the regular group meetings with full commitment and
joy.
Project outcome/Impact
The SLI project's year one impact survey, which was completed in the middle of October 2022,
reveals encouraging outcomes for the majority of the metrics. Outcome 1 demonstrates ongoing
progress in the household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS) criterion, which currently results
in 13% and 12% improvements from the baseline attained, which is 9% (CLAs) and 11%
(Community), respectively, but is still below the Yr 1 milestone of 45%. As a result, both the
prevalence of household food insecurity in the community and its alterations over time
decreased during the project's one-year support period. The results indicate that there has been
improvement in the project-supported participants' and other community members' access to
enough food to meet their dietary needs for a healthy and productive life.

Outcome indicator 2 demonstrates a further incremental improvement in households with a

Household Dietary Diversity score of at least 8 out of 15; this improvement is 2% for CLA
member households and 3% for other community members, respectively. This improvement is
greater than the baseline achieved, which was 0.4% for CLAs and 0% for the community, but it
still falls short of the 25% (CLAs) and 28% (Community) plan in Year One milestone.
Furthermore, there has been a slight improvement from the initial result from 0.4% to 2% in
CLAs and from 0% to 3% in other community members. This outcome shows positive changes
in a household's socioeconomic level and availability to food over a year. Additionally, there was
an improvement in the amount of food groups that a household consumed during a
predetermined time frame. We discovered that increasing availability to particular food groups
was associated with a more varied household diet, which is associated with adequate calorie
and protein intake.

Outcome indicator 3, average annual household income result shows incremental improvement
which is now 223.87 $ (11,179.61 ETB) and the Yr one milestone 214 $ (10,673606 ETB) in the
CLA member households and also the current result is 279.21 $ (13,943.18 ETB) and Yr one
milestone 258 $ (12,884 ETB) in other community members. While the result has also
improvement from the baseline achieved. This indicator illustrates the project groups' living
conditions slightly changed from what was seen in the study. And the ability to buy market-
based intermediate goods was improved as a result. Therefore, the HHs' actual median
incomes increased.

Outcome indicator 4 shows the greater improvement participation in community decision

making. The result shows that 49% in CLA member household and 41% in other community
members, from the Yr one milestone which is 30% for both CLAs and other community
members. While the result almost double of the baseline achieved which is 26%. This indicates
that the relevancy of the training provided, the effectiveness of the community dialogue for this
result achieved. Overall the result shows that our CLA members in the community actively
engaged in community-based decision-making and also saw improvement in their ability to
solve their own problems and achieve their own goals. It also gave the opportunity to promote
sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of the
community. This increases acceptance of decisions and community commitment to outcomes,
as local knowledge from diverse groups shapes and creates inclusive, effective solutions. 

Outcome 5, the result shows that in this year one survey, number of hectares of land protected
and rehabilitated is 0.039 which has improvement from baseline achieved is 0.02, but still below
the year one milestone 5 hectare. The other sub-indicator is community water management
committee with sustainable water resource management practices, the result shows 5
committees 100% achieved the year one milestone. But it is a greater improvement from the
baseline achieved which is zero. The last sub-indicator under the outcome five, number (and
%age) of CLA with integrated land management practices, the result shows 15 CLAs started
practiced integrated land management, it is higher performance with the year one milestone it is
10CLAs. Which keeps the similar achievement with the baseline 15 CLAs performed.
 Family Story:
Members of SHG witnessed the benefits of being
SHG members
Send a Cow Ethiopia works to improve the living conditions of the
poorest people in the community. The poor residents of the Bosa Tedefa
kebele are divided into 6 SHGs and given training on a variety of project-
related topics, including the production of fruits and vegetables, shared
family businesses and savings, gender and family relationships, the management of animals,
transformative household metrology (THM), value chains and market linkage, etc.

Tadelech Teshome, 27, is married and mother of two girls lives in Loma Bosa district Bosa Tedefa Kebele.
She resides in the Bosa Tedefa Kebele in the Loma Bosa district. She is a part of the SHG group named
Dicha, which was started in March 2018 with the support of Send a Cow Ethiopia and has 25 members
(M = 5 and F = 20). She remarked, "With the help of the initiative, all of our members received training in
the aforementioned tasks, and each member began putting the knowledge they had learned into
practice in their daily lives and gardens.

"Before joining SHG, I was engaged in daily labor work, which I earned was
Tadelech Teshome and her husband
insufficient to feed my family, and even though we have 0.5 hectares of
Faris Barana weeding beet root in
their garden.
land that we own, we do not produce any vegetables on it except for
some Enset (false banana plant), and the responsibility to make decisions in our home is primarily my
husband's duty," she said.

She continued, "Thanks to Send a Cow Ethiopia, an immediate

transformation occurred in my life after joining the group. As soon as I
started taking part in the program, my garden began to produce a lot of
veggies. The atmosphere at work has drastically shifted. My saving habits
have improved; now I save five birr every week in addition to saving
small amounts of coffee and other products. I now visit my vegetables
every day to make additional cash.
Being a part of the SHG gave me the opportunity to openly discuss Tadelech Teshome and her
husband holding up a single beet
challenges that we all face and share experiences. Our family relationships root..
and ability to make decisions both improved.

In her garden, she cultivates a variety of vegetables for both personal consumption and sale, including
tomatoes, cabbage, and beet root. she sold tomatoes and made 2000 Birr, which she spent on clothes
for her kids and for herself. The selling of the beetroot brought in 6,500 birr for her. For 2,500 Birr, she
purchased a sheep. With the remaining birr, she purchased seed to expand her farm's operations.

And last, she said "The only thing I can say is thank you to Send a
Tadelech Teshome and her husband with
their sheep. Cow. My connections with my family, the way I work, and how I eat
have all radically changed. My families are happy with their life right
now and look forward to a better future."

Activities planned for Year 2

 Establishment and Strengthening of Steering ILM Committee at Woreda level
 Support CLAs to establish multipurpose nursery sites (seeds, farm tools, and other
inputs)
 Support CLAs to develop by-laws on communal land management.
 Organize community awareness raising events on climate change and integrated
environmental management
 Provision of seeds and seedlings for CLA-managed ILM sites
 Provide awareness creation for selected PFTs on Importance of Trees for Carbon
Sequestration and its measurement
 Training for water system maintenance Technicians and maintenance tool supply
 Awareness creation and promotion on cattle feed for dry & drought season
 Community Volunteer Facilitators pocket money (CVFs)
 CVFs transport and mobile card allowance
 Market linkage workshop with relevant stakeholders (private actors, local government,
farmers, business groups)
 Annual review meeting with stakeholders on CLA Performance.
 Support CLAs to establish enterprises on selected local
products.
 Promotion of value-added farm produces
 TOT Training for CLAs on Envisioning
 Community dialogue and scale up THM
 Community dialogue and scale up on social inclusion
 Community dialogues on areas of HTPs, social
inclusion, family planning and nutrition.
 Strengthening linkages between CLAs, Woreda and
Kebele level government offices for partnership and
collaboration
 CLA experience sharing from external and peer learning
exposure visit.
 Leadership and Assertiveness training for women in SHG
  Community led safeguarding mechanisms training

Project Budget: Spend September 2021 – August 2022