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Asagirt – Rural project

The integrated rural development area of Asagirt

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Project Information

  • Focus:
    – Water
    – Health
    – Agriculture
    – Education
    – Social projects
    – Women
    – Infrastructure
  • Target groups: Farmers, families, the rural population
  • Region: Asagirt, Amhara
  • Population: 53,845 residents
  • Project area: 437 km²
  • Duration: 2007 – 2014

Project Goal

Project Description

ACTIVITIES

To stimulate lasting and sustainable change in rural areas, Menschen für Menschen works on the principle of “integrated rural development projects”. Together with the local people, who contributed high levels of commitment and effort, activities from various areas that are necessary for sustained development were implemented and linked together:

  • WATER
    Together with the local people Menschen für Menschen built wells, well tappings and reservoir tanks for rain water. The farmers were trained on how to keep the water clean and how to look after and maintain the facilities. The local people were also educated on important aspects on improving hygiene.
  • HEALTH
    Menschen für Menschen built health centers, trained medical staff, initiated vaccination programs and introduced simple operations, improving the basic medical care available. The foundation also carried out education programs on HIV / AIDS and advised people on preventative healthcare.
  • AGRICULTURE
    To fight against erosion, Menschen für Menschen helped the farmers build terraces and reforest the land. Training programs taught the farmers new techniques that helped them increase their crop yields and increase the productivity of their livestock.
  • EDUCATION
    Almost half of the entire population of Ethiopia cannot read or write. By building schools, training teachers and running literacy campaigns for adults, Menschen für Menschen helped to improve the situation.
  • PROMOTING WOMEN’S RIGHTS
    Menschen für Menschen was involved in various activities focused on improving living conditions for women and strengthening their position in society. These included: vocational training courses, training in housekeeping and hygiene and credit programs to help women find a way to live independently.
  • INFRASTRUCTURE
    In the remote, rural areas, many small villages are very hard to reach. By building roads and bridges, Menschen für Menschen helped the people living there to connect with the rest of the world.

The Problem

The district of Asagirt is situated on the eastern edge of the central Ethiopian highlands. Huge fluctuations in rainfall here made it very difficult to grow crops. As a result of deforestation and intensive farming, the already meager rainfall was washing the soil away, resulting in erosion. Traditional farming methods meant the agricultural productivity was low. The picture was similar for livestock, which produced little income. Unclean drinking water caused widespread disease.

There were only four outpatient health centers and an outpatient clinic at the start. And even they didn’t have the facilities and medication to cope. And there were just a few primary schools in the beginning, spread across the whole district and mostly in poor condition. With some children walking up to five hours to the next school, very few went regularly to school. Most communities had no roads to connect them making social facilities such as schools and health centers difficult to reach across steep mountain paths.

Project Information

  • Focus:
    – Water
    – Health
    – Agriculture
    – Education
    – Social projects
    – Women
    – Infrastructure
  • Target groups: Farmers, families, the rural population
  • Region: Asagirt, Amhara
  • Population: 53,845 residents
  • Project area: 437 km²
  • Duration: 2007 – 2014

Project Goal