On July 21 it took place the first project inception workshop 14-PR1-1100 “Increased agricultural productivity with environmental and gender focus in East Wellega (Oromiya), Ethiopia”, financed by AECID. It was held in Sasiga one of the three woredas or districts where the project is developed, in order to publicize the project to all stakeholders. In the first weeks of August there will be other inception workshops in the remaining woredas of Say and Guto Gida.
These workshops are initially targeted to government staff from various administrative offices in each district (agriculture, gender, health …) in order to agree with them on the activities and form the working groups involved Once these groups are formed, the selection of kebele (below the woreda administrative unit, equivalent to a neighborhood association) and beneficiaries will take place.
You can consider this first workshop a complete success in terms of attendance and participation. Although many of the participants walked up to two hours away by foot to get to the meeting place, almost all the planned personnel went, more than fifty people, a third part consists of women.
Also during the workshop it was actively discussed the best way to carry out the activities and the most appropriate sites for implantation. Globally, the project is highly valued for its ability to respond to many needs that the government, for now, can not solve. Even the possibility of introducing new activities not originally contemplated was contemplated. Keep in mind that the woreda of Sasiga is the poorest of those included in the project and there are great expectations for the impact it will have on the population.