VoCDA

IDH is a foundation that convenes public -private -community partnerships in key global agricultural, garment and textile value chains as well as producing landscapes to adopt sustainable practices to ensure sustainable production, optimal environmental protection and meaningful social inclusion for development. In doing so, IDH mainly plays three roles: convening of key actors in sectors/landscapes, co-designs and co-finances projects while assigning field level projects implementation to 3rd party. It is in this context that IDH partnered with VOCDA through the Sustainable Landscape program(2015-2023) that operated in the Dembel Shalla sub Basin of Ethiopia. VOCDA implemented 3 different projects in the period 2018-2022 under the thematic are: Restoration and rehabilitation of degraded land and development of alternative livelihoods for communities. Among the remarkable qualities VOCDA exemplified throughout our collaboration were 1. A very dedicated team focused on results but also taking due process that is attuned to local norms. This is in spite of the very small team size and logistics/facilities limitation VOCDA had. 2. Open to feedback and fine-tuning implementation approaches for improved results 3. Timely and very transparent in implementation and financial reporting Among the many results VOCDA delivered during our collaborations, few that stand out are ❖ VOCDA established multiple successful bee keeping community enterprises. This is in the context that the project area, mostly known for rampant agrochemical use, was feared unfit for beekeeping. VOCDA team was able to identify ideal locations and community groups and make honey production possible resulting in significant production and sells in local markets. ❖ VOCDA for more than 10 years in its operation in the Dembel Shalla Sub Basin, alongside its degraded land restoration & livelihoods projects, every year, it identified community members that protect existing/remnant woodland. These are community members that despite the pressure to deforest and expand cultivation land, continued to protect woodland lots on individual lands. These individuals are acknowledged during the yearly Farmers forest day that VOCDA organizes to raise awareness on project interventions but also promote project products ❖ As a way to integrate reforestation and sustainable utilisation of non timber forest product, VOCDA established a women’s enterprise and built their capacity to start Moringa and Aloe vera based soap production. The women have been successfully selling their products in the local market. ❖ The VOCDA team, also worked to capacitate community groups to produce energy saving cook stoves as a means to alleviate one of the drivers of deforestation in the area. Later in a new project, they connected the previous groups to become suppliers of cook stoves to new groups in a new location and also to share their experiences Going forward I wish to see VOCDA collaborating with many more like minded organizations who can leverage on the values VOCDA can offer to deliver on sustainable natural resources management and utilization at the grassroots level and related fields. Should you need more information, feel free to contact me regarding this testimonial Mahlet Shebabaw Bekele, Senior Program manager, Sustainable Landscapes program at IDH Ethiopia (June 2023)