Ecologically Friendly Livelihood Improvement Project is among livelihood improvement projects which will be implemented in partnership with Protestant Agency for Diakonie and Development – Bread for the World (BftW) for the next 3 years (2024-2026). The project intervention areas were located in five weredas of four regional states of the country. Namely, Oromiya region – West Arisi zone – Adaba Wereda, Sidama region – Northern Sidama zone – Hawassa Zuria Wereda (Hawassa Dorie), Southern Ethiopia region – Gedeo zone – Dilla Zuria Wereda and Central Ethiopia region – Hadiya Zone – Gombora Wereda and Kembata Zone – Adillo Wereda. The total direct beneficiaries, including the intermediaries of this Project, is planned to be 3,890 out of which 2,079 or 54% are women and 1,811 or 46% are men. The total indirect beneficiaries are 90,000 (45,900females and 44,100 male) residing in the 15 Kebeles of the five target Woredas.  The Project will address 225 Self Help Groups(SHGs) which are going to be established by organizing 3375 target community members during the implementation period. These SHGs will have an upper structure called cluster level associations (CLA) to be organized from 8-12 SHGs. The project will also build the capacity of 60 local churches to ensure the project’s sustainability and mobilize various supports, such as volunteers, representing EKHCDC in the project management with local government at Kebele level. All of the project intervention areas are characterized by insecure livelihoods, which mainly is due to low agricultural production and productivity, poor socio-economic resilience and distorted perception of gender equity & social inclusion. Hence, this project will be implemented with a goal of contributing towards the improvement of community’s wellbeing by improving the food security status and socio economic resilience of the target beneficiaries in Oromia Region, Sidama Region, Southern Ethiopia Region and Central Ethiopia Region.

General objectives

  • Food security status of the selected beneficiaries improved by the end of 2026.
  • Awareness about Women’s and Children’s rights among the target communities enhanced by the end of 2026.
  • Organizational competency in delivering development and social service to the community improved by the end of 2026.

Specific objective

  • Ecological friendly livelihood practices adopted by selected beneficiaries by the end of 2026
  • Socioeconomic status of selected beneficiaries enhanced through Self Help Groups (SHGs) by the end 2026
  • Gender equitable access market increased for beneficiary farmers by the end of 2026
  • HTP and Violence against women and girls addressed and minimized HTP and Violence against women and girls
  • Faith based organizations empowered and actively participated in community development activities.

Main project activities

  • Increasing food production capacity of target community through conservation agriculture
  • Empowering women socially & economically by organizing them in SHGs.
  • Community mobilization through faith based organizations.

Target groups

  • In each of the 5 project intervention areas, the project directly benefits 778 (416 Female) chronically food insecure poor households marginalized & disadvantaged groups of people and female headed households with a total population of 3,890 people (1,984 females and 1,906) (Assuming 5 people per household, on average) residing in 3 kebeles of respective districts.

Project Budget

  • The total estimated three-year budget for the implementation of EFLI project is 54,890,000 ETB or € 998,000 (assuming that the 1€= 55.00 Ethiopian birr) and 50% of the budget will be covered by Bread for the world and the rest 50% will be covered by EKHCDC.

Major Activities accomplished

  • Essential policy documents were shared with BfTW to finalize due diligence and project agreement and project funding agreement was signed and shared between BfTW and EKHCDC. Proposals for Ecologically Friendly Livelihood Improvement (EFLI) project were prepared and submitted to 4 regional governments (Oromiya region, Sidama region, South-ern Ethiopia region and central Ethiopia region) bureaus for appraisal and agreement signing.
  • Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church Development commission (EKHCDC) has signed project agreement entitled “Ecological Friendly Livelihood Improvement Project – Phase 1” with four regional states, whereas Finance and Economic Cooperation Bureau, Agricultural Bureau, Women and Children Affairs Bureau, and Labor and Social Affairs Bureau have endorsed and are vibrant to facilitate the implementation of the project.
  • Potential partners for collaboration and matching fund were identified and linked on this project implementation. Accordingly, Integra Agribusiness Foundation has agreed and signed for a matching fund to support the project activity in providing fund for macadamia seedling purchase and import from Kenya by the end of September to match fund on this project implementation.
  • Staff recruitment has been done for EFLD project. The EKHCDC’s hiring committee has participated in reviewing application, screening the right candidate, interviewing and hiring, while Addis Ababa university has given the examination to with current fair price. A seven -member project management committee has also been established in all project implementation areas.
  • The first learning workshop was held at Debre Zeit during the first week of April with an objective of introducing the project to EKHC board and management committee and identifying internal resource mobilization modalities and the way forward. As a result, ample awareness was created about the unique feature of EFLD project and strategies for internal resource mobilization were identified.
  •  Ecologically Friendly Livelihood Improvement Project (EFLIP) –  Phase I, has successfully launched at 5 project intervention areas. The launch was held on 6th August, 2024 at Hawassa, Rori Hotel, on 9th August, 2024 at Hossana, Adila Hotel, on 20th August, 2024 at Dilla, Delight Hotel and on 22nd 2024, at Shashemene, Tantostina Hotel. The project launch marked the official inauguration of EFLI project at Hawasa zuriya wereda, Sidama region, at Adilo and Gomobora weredas, Central Ethiopia region, at Dilla zuriya wereda, Southern Ethiopia region and Adaba wereda, Oromiya region with shared goal, responsibility and accountability among all stakeholders.

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