a glimpse about Wako Gutu Foundation (WGF)

Mission
 Founded in 2006 communities in The mission of WGF is to facilitate
memory of pastoralist and marginalized empowerment of marginalized
Background
freedom of Wako
fighter and Gutu Foundation
justice crusader- communities economically and socially
General Wako. through implementation of integrated
and pro-poor projects in underserved
 With Initial support on bazaar at Bale Agro-pastoralist and pastoralist
Robe-collected from communities. communities.
 Founded to empower pastoralist Vision
communities through livelihood
diversification, greater policy attention WGF is committed to see socio-
and socio-economic integration for economic advancement of pastoralist
them communities with strong mutual
cooperation of communities with similar
mode of life in the pastoralist regions.
WGF Access to schools
and pastoralist education
program
Students and their parents gather to celebrate the school constructed by WGF
Water projects increased access to water through Hand pump developed for the community to improve their
health and burden of girls to fetch water from distances increasing their chance of school enrolment and insured
safety.
The project also increased an Some of WASH project
access to Water and Sanitation for
Agropastoralists. results
 Before
Before

After

After
 Water sources

Some of the group owned nursery sites at project sites before it is transplanted into individual plot .This people were voluntarily transited
from Pastoralism to Agro-pastoralism after they lost their livelihoods from cattle due to prolonged drought of 2011 and supported on
Livelihood Enhancement
project for pastoralist and
Agro-pastoralist project(LEAP)

The project works in two

irrigation sites which helped
Agro-pastoralists to increase
their income and production of
cash crops from irrigation.
The project started in 2012 as
pilot and now going with
tangible changes to
communities life (Baseline
survey December
2013/Evaluation report.
Marketing and cooperatives capacity support
WGF-Executive Director Leading the team to show the donor representative what should be done to improve the
irrigation canal and its use to improve the food insecurity and rampant poverty for this agro-pastoralist and conflict
ridden community. The initiatives increased pastoralists agricultural skills, created alternative livelihood and
employment, reduced malnutrition ,increased their income and encouraged girls and child school enrollment and
empowered women through asset creation.
The irrigation in Gongoma and Chirri has helped communities to produce many foods and it
helped also cheap fruits availability in the market for the people
 Water sources

Change in working culture and group collaboration through Dabo/Honfala and Dabaree
systems of traditional shift based labor sharing traditional systems
Community members knew how to do watering and land preparation. This increased an a
productivity which is the result of increased an income improving the food security and
contributed to the government efforts of food self-sufficiency
Some of the project outputs
This hard working farmer proved hard working
will pay you back with proper training
The project also increased an Some of WASH project
access to Water and Sanitation for
Agropastoralists. results
Before

After
 After
Before

The project also increased an access to clean

Water and Sanitation for Agro-pastoralists.
Small local markets that sells the vegetables
from the farm and this has created small petty Gongoma Marketing and
traders (Women) cooperative meeting
 Women economic empowerment through selfhelp groups and productive asset provision. The project
increased young women and women headed family employability, asset diversification and insured
women asset possession. Leaders gathered to witness this success. The project Funded by LifeUSA
through American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa(ARAHA) of Minneapolis.
Women economic
empowerment

Women Economic empowerment

Marketing and cooperatives capacity support
Briefing donor groups on WGF activities in pastoralist and agastoralist development projects, women
economic empowerments, youth employability and livelihood diversifications including challenges
facing the CSO sector in Ethiopia. The presentations was also part of defending my proposal and
convincing the delegates on the German government (BMZ) funding through Bread for the World for
irrigation and women economic empowerment in Ethiopia and as a result 850,000euro is approved for
the scaling up of WGF activities.
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