OROMIA Region Projects

Community based HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Program

This program is part of the community based HIV/AIDS prevention and control program that is being implemented in three regional states including Afar and Amhara. The project areas in the region are five Woredas namely Lume, Bosset, Gimbichu and Fentale in E/shoa and Merti Woreda in Arsi zones. The main components of this project include community mobilization, IEC and advocacy; community based social care and support for persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and the care and support of AIDS orphans; workshops and trainings for different community groups; enrollment of vocational skills training and income generating activities. These program components are proven strategies in the fight against, prevention and control efforts of HIV/AIDS and poverty integrated with similar rights based health and development projects implemented in the area. The program is financed by Federal HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (HAPCO) through EMSAP fund staffed by 5 Community based HIV/AIDS Educators and 5 Supervisors with 1 regional coordinator planned to reach and impact 112,000 people.

Education

NACID has established a school at the children’s center in Nazareth in 1989 where the children under its care are supported and trained to support themselves as responsible citizens. Basic, formal and non formal education, skill and vocational training considered to facilitate and serve smooth social integration of abandoned, displaced, dislocated, transitional and marginalized children into society has assisted for registering collective development impact by extending facilities of schooling for children who come from the neighboring rural and urban communities resulted in successful completion of jointly planned projects with local government, communities, the private sector and members of the civic society. NACID after managing and administering the school for more than 19 years decided to hand it over to pertinent government agencies effective July 2005. Handing over was not an easy process after two decades of staff turn over within the regional government structures.

It was a painful process for NACID management and the community; to give away a precious commodity and depart from loved ones and friends that have shared the long process of development and change, but we had to do it so that we can focus on other development priorities, totaling the number of phased out projects 93.

Multi-skill Training Program

The aim of this program is to equip women with variety of marketable skills. The main areas of training are electricity, plumbing, metal work, pre-school teachers' training, catering, wood work etc. NACID undertook the multipurpose multi skill training program in collaboration with Intermon/Oxfam, Spain with a generous financial and material support from SIMON, a huge electrical materials production company based in Barcelona. Training includes: Electricity, Woodwork, Metal work, Plumbing, Catering, Computer & pre-school teachers training. Training was provided to school dropout girls with training lecture, sessions and practical demonstration for up to 1 year. The structural construction of the training center at Nazareth includes 4 lecture rooms, one block of 10 room dormitories, one multi-purpose hall, one block of automotive garage, kitchen, dining hall etc. Construction was completed in 2003 and in April of that year resumed operation and after graduating 300 girls, the majority employed within the regional government structure while some of them are organized and established a self support cooperative association. Phase I, having a budget of Birr 5million with the first three years training project has been evaluated by the government and the donor, signatories to the project agreement is now completed in June 2005. The existing structures of the training center, with specific changes made to the training center reflecting on current skill manpower marketing demand by employment is planned to train more than 1000 trainees in the years to come. Phase II of the second 3 years project agreement request has been submitted to education bureau and Oromia Regional State, food security disaster preparedness and prevention commission. The project document is dispatched to various donors and potential partners for a partial or complete funding during the project period in 2006 - 2009

The Nazareth Children’s Home

The children’s home has enabled the children under its care with life support skills that has built their capacities through an integral part of community integration program that created the opportunity and possibility of enabling environment coupled with livelihood skills training. 40 grown up children are now supporting themselves and leading a successful life like any responsible citizen in the country employed in different category of business institution. The plan again is to provide child survival center that would serve as a transition shelter for children who can be adopted locally and abroad by committed adoption agencies and adopting parents. The center will continue to receive abandoned, dislocated and displaced orphan children through legally approved and socially acceptable system of documented communication from all NACID operated project areas in the 6 national regional states and else where.

NACID has been frequently approached for tracing and assessing orphan children for adoption agencies. Further to the objective and plan of expanding similar child focused services to other regional states, our request for federal project agreement with The Ministry of Women’s Affair has been accepted with a total population of 4000 vulnerable children to serve.

Income Generation

This scheme is aimed to support NACID's humanitarian program through financial backup and to provide a training opportunity to the children under its care, students & communities at large so that it serves as a demonstration project for similar activities for replication by the neighboring communities and members of the civic society. Poultry farm and vegetable production are among the existing IGA components considered viable. The poultry cage and pens are now temporarily closed for fear of bird flu with a careful assessment on global and local manifestations.

Garment Production and Irrigation Farming

The two projects were handed over to NACID with an agreement signed for the transfer of management right over the garment unit in Nazareth and the Addis – Tesfahiwot farm in Tibila, Arsi zone of Oromia National Regional State, by a written instruction from the Prime Minister’s Office through the Federal Ministry of Finance; the mandate and over all responsibility resting upon the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. As the two projects are based within the regional state of Oromia, the regional state was never ready to take over the two projects and NACID operating in these areas was selected for its credibility and creativity in rehabilitation skills for such project activities. The primary objective of NACID’s intervention plan was to improve the productivity of the employees and of the projects as a whole through training and the introduction of new working techniques, with a principle of operation extended to the rehabilitation and development programs for disabled persons. Feasibility study with some assistance from the British Over seas Services, Dronten Agricultural College from the Netherlands and Agro transfer, a consulting firm in Holland were all involved in the rehabilitation and improvement of the two projects. A local irrigation consulting firm and two garment making business companies were also involved with the design and planning for new techniques and marketing possibilities so as to build and upgrade the management capacities of both rehabilitation centers for the disabled and promote the wellbeing of better life. The irrigation project with its 112 staff members was rehabilitated and made to produce export crops with a memorandum of understanding signed between NACID and a business investor, who has been attracted by the project document developed for business promotion. The regional government of Oromia which refused to collaborate at the start developed interest later and requested for taking over. The garment unit left in our hands was organized for improved productivity and upgrading of skills for younger and fast learning committed disabled citizens. The existing staff members were given a choice for enrollment in rigorous training or a choice with a two years salary paid in advance. None of these was materializing since the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs nor the regional government of Oromia, were never ready to assist the process. While fund raising process was in place, the disabled staff with long years of dependency syndrome were unwilling to cooperate and use this opportunity to change their life for better. Two years have elapsed with out any good reason for disagreement, and after explaining the non availability of resources from any donor for salary and administration purpose to the staff and the responsible government agencies, we decided to terminate the project agreement and return the garment project to the government.

The Ministry of labor and Social Affairs and the staff of 48 people have been notified with 6 months prior notice by NACID according to the project agreement signed between the two institutions, to retake the project management right. The Ministry, with its bureaucratic process has responded on time but did not act on the take over while the garment staff comprising 34 disabled people and 14 without disabilities has sued NACID with a claim for 3 years unpaid salaries. The courts in the city of Adama, in Oromia regional state have made a decision on NACID to pay 3 years salary resulting in an appeal submitted to the Federal High court in the city of Addis Ababa. We have asked the regional representative of the International Labor Organization (ILO) for his assistance in resolving the court case and to stop such irresponsible act by the mandated government institution. We are told that some financial assistance has also been earmarked to compensate salaries for the staff by some other agency for settling the case. To date no visible action has not been in place, the court case still lingering; frustrated by the situation and the unintended miscalculations, we are still pondering not knowing where to go and what directions to follow.

Micro Financing

This scheme is an activity within the women poverty lending program. Initially Tedie peasant association was taken as an experimental base and 54 women were organized in an association reporting an average of 25% increase on their savings.

The second women’s credit and saving association was formed with over 100 members, saving Birr 1,700 quarterly and 30% eligible for additional credit. NACID helped the establishment of 4 credits and saving cooperatives each with membership size of 60 women in Adama and Lume woredas.

Water environment and private investment

NACID has developed several ponds and drilled deep water wells in its project area where time has come for attracting investment and private development, creating an atmosphere for negotiation and appreciation for local resource mobilization. In NACID’s Nazareth children’s center and some income generating activities such as cattle fattening, the availability of water wells and electric power have drawn the attention of business promoters. Such possibilities have enabled our management to advocate on behalf of the community, environment and sustainable development and the sharing of resources on equal terms.

Wet land Management

The program has been designed, with a multi year operational plan, to advocate for nature, the environment and lobby on behalf of the dwindling ecology to promote for the holistic development of the Tri-Lakes areas, and motivate the protection and conservation program of such natural asset; namely Langano, Shalla and Abijata lakes. The major activities conceived include Agro forestry development, ecological monitoring, controlled fishery and irrigation development, and community capacity building activities in areas of eco-tourism, animal herding, alternative livelihood skills development, health, education & micro-financing schemes. The program document has been submitted to local, regional and federal government authorities, IUCN, the UN and to International agencies, partners and donors. In our capacity, we have invested time and money for commissioning the study, with bold faith; struggling with commitment for preventing the worst outcome, if not reversing the situation to its natural beauty. We have not been able to mobilize resources so far, but we will continue to lobby, advocate and communicate with earth friendly agencies and associations.