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Case Studies
Bonga
Forest
Adjacent Communities are
Committed to Working Hard to Improve Livelihoods
Maleche
Gebre Medhin, 25, lives in a
small village called Obera, 12km from the Bonga town.
Meleche belongs to the ostracized Manja clan. She has
four children and is the fifth wife for her husband.
Being the fifth wife, she is labeled as ‘junior’ and is
expected to work for and serve the ‘elder wives’.
Moreover, she is forced to live on the edge of the
compound in a poorly built and equipped hut. In addition
to these obligations, Maleche is also responsible to
take care of her four children. Neither Maleche nor her
children are enrolled in school.
All five wives depend on the 3.5ha land belonging to
Mendeyo, the husband. The main crop harvest from the
land is maize. Maize takes more than six months to grow.
The harvest lasts the family for less than 3 months.
Melache’s daily activities include making charcoal and
collecting firewood which she carries on her back to
Bonga town for sale.
Maleche is one of the women the Bonga PFM project is
working with. She is a member of one of the Forest
Management Groups who have taken the responsibility of
forest management. Last year she participated, together
with other women including Mendeyo’s four other wives,
in taro field trials. After the training in the same
year she planted her own Rosando Taro, which was found
to be the best from the trials, in her backyard and got
about three quintals from a basket of seeds.
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Regarding her taro
harvest, Maleche stated: “I produced enough for
my loved ones. The project relieved me from
carrying heavy charcoal and fuel wood to the
market which had affected me both physically and
psychologically. I ask the project to distribute
this plant among all Menja women who are bearing
the same burden. From now onwards I will plant
it regularly because it can easily be preserved,
matures quickly and can be prepared and eaten in
different ways.”
Maleche has
continued to plant taro in her backyard to
supplement the household consumption.
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In addition, after her positive experience with taro she
has become a member of the women credit and saving group
and will seek further development and livelihood
opportunities.
Read
about the Bonga project >>>
Other
case studies from Bonga
A Day in
the life of Haile Yesho >>>
Beehives
and Abebe Tesfa >>>
Couples’
Life Undergoes Transformation >>>
Gone
are the Days of Hardship >>>
Manja
and the Bonga forest: A story of successful interaction
>>>
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