Achievements

Capacity Development

  • Strengthened capacity for Board members and staff.
    • Improved organizational systems (policies and procedures).
    • Enhanced networking and partnerships with stakeholders.
    • Elevated governance and management within the organization.
    • Empowered the community to shape its own future.
    • Developed a self-reliant community that meets its own needs.

Food security and livelihood

  • Expanded income-generating activities in dairy and poultry farming.
  • Increased average yields of crops, vegetables, and fruits in rural areas.
  • Provided agricultural inputs like seeds and fertilizers to boost yields.
  • Enhanced animal production through the distribution of local and Washera rams.
  • Expanded vocational training for unemployed youth
  • Empowered women-led households to achieve land ownership.
  • Increased family support for children’s education in private schools.
  • Improved community nutrition practices for healthier families.
  • Encouraged involvement in horticulture among non-target community members.
  • Established grain and seed banks to enhance community resilience against natural disasters

Natural Resources Management

  • Increased construction of sustainable soil and water conservation structures on cultivated land, rehabilitating degraded areas.
  • Promoted fuel-efficient stoves and alternative energy sources among beneficiaries.
  • Established protected areas as recreational centers for the community, especially during traditional ceremonies.
  • Planted over 805,742 seedlings to restore eroded farmland.
  • Successfully rehabilitated degraded land with multipurpose plants, advancing green development in the Woreda.
  • Communities started using forage from restored land to nourish their cattle.
  • Reduced soil and water erosion, enhancing overall land productivity.
  • In two watershed areas, communities implemented biannual irrigation for vegetable cultivation, boosting livelihoods.
  • Revived previously banned indigenous trees and shrubs in the protected area

Gender and Development

  • Women’s leadership in the Woreda rose to 25-30%, achieving 50:50 gender parity in school leadership.
  • Female beneficiaries represent 40% of participants, with improved gender equality and political participation.
  • A girls-led parliament was established to promote equal participation among youth.
  • Program quality has enhanced, boosting academic performance of girls in targeted schools.
  • Capacity building for women leaders has strengthened their ability to address challenges.
  • Initiatives have shifted attitudes toward women’s resource control at home, including appointing mothers and daughters as financial managers

Case Study One

A journey to livelihood and Resilience

Titians Melie is a 35 years old mother of two children from Alusha Kebele participated from Alem Birhan’s shoat (sheep) support program. She has shared her experiences regarding the situation before and after engaging with Alem Birhan’s initiatives. Titians received a small plot of land from her parents, which was insufficient to produce enough crops for her family’s annual food consumption. As her family size grew, the struggle to meet their food needs intensified. Despite her efforts to supplement her income through daily labor on other farmers’ fields, she faced ongoing challenges.

 During this difficult period, Titians encountered representatives from Alem Birhan and the Community Based Institution (CBI) committees in her kebele, Alusha (03). She was impressed by the organization’s initiatives and quickly registered as a member, participating actively in all developmental activities as guided by the CBI bylaws.

Titians was later selected to receive two shoats (sheep) and one Washera ram. Within a year, the two sheep gave birth to four lambs, allowing her to earn 7,000 ETB from the sale of two lambs. This income enables her to feed and send her children to school. So, Alem Birhan is changing my livelihood and resilience and empowered her to decide her destiny. Which words are appropriate to thank Alem Birhan with? No words at all!!”

Case study two

W/ro Sewunet Amare 36 years old with 3 children from Alusha Kebele is a beneficiary of the shoat (sheep) support program provided by Alem Birhan. She is actively engaged in sheep rearing, having initially received two local ewes to kickstart her journey. Initially, W/ro Sewunet was eager to pursue sheep rearing but lacked the necessary starting capital to purchase local ewes

. This limitation hindered her aspirations for improved livelihood through livestock. Alem Birhan with its pro-poor development approach provided her with two local ewes, marking the beginning of her sheep rearing activity. Shortly after, the ewes delivered three lambs, and both ewes became pregnant again. This support has significantly transformed her situation.

From the sale of the three lambs, W/ro Sewunet earned 8,800 ETB, which enabled her to purchase an additional local ewe. She now owns three local ewes, yielding six lambs each year. She expresses a positive outlook on her future, stating, “Now I feel that sheep rearing is the best fit for poor people”.
Beyond her success in sheep rearing, W/ro Sewunet has also received improved seeds from the project, allowing her to engage in vegetable production. She is committed to working hard to provide her family with nutritious food.

Alem Birhan Self-Help Community-Based Development Association conducted Consultative meeting with key stakeholders

Alem Birhan Self-Help Community-Based Development Association held a consultative meeting with key stakeholders on February 7, 2026, at Unison Hotel in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. The purpose of the meeting was to gather input from participants on improving visibility, diversifying funding sources, securing funds, and reforming the organizational structure and operational areas.

The meeting began with a welcoming address from the executive manager of the association, followed by introductions to facilitate communication and share experiences among participants. An illustrative PowerPoint presentation highlighted decades of work, historical development, and success stories, presented by the staffs of the association that served as a springboard to kick off a productive discussion and solicit valuable insights from the audience.

A total of 19 participants, including one female representative, attended the gathering. This included representatives from government, NGOs, and ABSHCBDA employees, including board members. Notable government officials, such as the Vice President of the Justice Bureau, the Finance and Economy Bureau, and the Vice Commissioner of the Disaster Risk Management Commission, were present, along with representatives from NGOs like Water Aid, Helvetas, and Bright.

The meeting was carefully designed, with a Terms of Reference (ToR) prepared to guide the process effectively. Conducted over half a day, it was productive in achieving its objectives. Following the PowerPoint presentation, participants were invited to ask questions and provide feedback on the association’s progress over its ten-year development journey. Attendees shared positive and inspirational remarks regarding the association’s achievements across various interventions, noting that while ABSHCBDA’s accomplishments are significant, they have not been widely promoted despite their potential to empower communities as a key instrument for sustainable development.

After the Q&A session, participants were divided into three groups for discussions on carefully selected topics. Group One focused on donor diversification, Group Two addressed network creation and relationship building, while Group Three conducted a SWOT analysis regarding the relocation of the association’s office to Bahir Dar City. The results of these group discussions were then presented by each respective group

Group One: Funding strategies and opportunities

Group members conducted interactive and long discussion on the opportunities and possibilities of securing funds for the association. The result of group one discussion findings is presented here below:

  • Increase membership of the association as the current members is small in ration
  • all against the total population of the intervention areas
  • Construct and expand guest houses to big cities through securing credits services from microfinance institutions or Asset Based Community Development groups
  •  Strengthen or create productive relation with potential donors through promoting the association work through social media and its website
  • Organize country wide tele tone program to mobilize resources
  • Prepare strong and fundable proposal and submit to potential donors

Group two: creating networks and building relation

Group members discussed on the strategy and approach to create networks and building relation with potential stakeholders/donors. The following findings were presented by the group rapporteur.

  • Identify key Government offices including BoA, BoFEC, DRM commission, BoH, BDU and DMU and communicate them about the association achievements and create network for joint efforts towards sustainable development
  • Communicate potential NGOS engaged in rural development for collaborative works including: Nile basin initiative, Bright, water aid, GAIN, SNV plan international, WFP, OCHA, ORDA and world vision
  • Facilitate experience sharing program to share and gain experience from potential development partners
  • Build the capacity of association’s staffs on networking, advocacy and partnership development
  • Solicit technical support from professionals on proposal writing and fund raising techniques
  • Establish system and process on network building and partnership development 

Group three

  • Group three conduct SWOT analysis on the relocation of the association’s office to Bahr Dar. This group like other group conducted hot discussion and through analysis on the current status of the association. The following findings were shared to the larger group:

Strengths:

  • Improve visibility
  • Enable to access resources
  • Improve collaboration and partnership
  • Improve traceability/accessibility of the association
  • Strengthen institutional capacity
  • Expand engagement areas of the association

Weakness

  • Increase operational cost
  • Loss of connection with foundational local community
  • Incur displacement cost

Opportunities

  • Enable to access diversified donor
  • Expand impact/outreach
  • Existence of enhanced capacity at region level
  • Strengthen institutional capacity as it shares experience and support from professionals and donor
  • Enable to access resources and work facilities from potential donors or GO offices
  • The current paradigm shifts about localization approach. 

 Threats

  • Resistance of the community about the relocation
  • Presence of conflict to logistic mobilization to Bahir Dar

At the conclusion of the group work presentations, participants were invited to ask questions and share their thoughts on the association’s progress during its ten-year development journey. They offered positive and inspirational feedback, along with suggestions for the future direction of the association to ensure its sustainability and financial stability. A summary of their comments is outlined below:

  • The entry and exit strategy implemented by Agri Service Ethiopia was praised, as it has provided a solid foundation for the association’s longevity, unlike other regional associations formed by ASE.
  • The presentation and discussions offered valuable insights into the association’s contributions to community empowerment.
  • The relocation of ABSHCBDA’s office from Mertule-Mariam to Bahir Dar is crucial for enhancing visibility and accessibility for development actors.
  • Action points should be identified, and an implementation plan prepared to translate the findings from this meeting into action. A team of experts or a taskforce should be formed to plan, implement, and monitor progress, with a primary focus on reforming the association.
  • Prioritizing network creation and relationship building is vital for improving visibility and securing funding opportunities.
  • The organizational structure of the association should undergo a review and expansion at both branch and regional coordination levels. Governance should include a mix of professionals rather than being entirely comprised of farmers.
  • Despite significant achievements in rural transformation, the association is not adequately promoted.
  • Similar meetings and communication efforts should include higher officials from key bureaus and political leaders to build confidence in the association’s contributions to rural development.
  • The Bureau of Finance and Economic Cooperation (BoFEC) should take the lead in connecting the association with potential donors or sub-granters, such as SNV and others, given its responsibility and accountability for NGOs.
  • ABSHCBDA has launched multi-sectoral initiatives, resulting in substantial impacts on community livelihoods and environmental rehabilitation. However, these successes have not received the expected promotional attention, which has led to them being overlooked by donors. Therefore, the association should develop a promotional strategy to enhance visibility through the preparation of concise and standardized profiles.
  • The restructuring of staff and the relocation of offices at both the regional and Woreda levels should be managed carefully to maintain the support and identity established by the association’s founders.
  • A comprehensive reform and operational plan should be prepared for the implementation of the identified action points.
  • Fundraising efforts should be strengthened by working closely with key stakeholders, including Abay Bank, as the association is a shareholder.
  • Three specialized teams should be established: one focused on fundraising, another on improving visibility and building the association’s image, and a third on institutional strengthening with local talent

 Meeting Concluding Remarks

Dr. Ayalew Aychiluhom, the Vice Head of the Regional Justice Bureau, brought the meeting to a close with insightful remarks regarding the future direction of the Alem Birhan Self-Help Community-Based Development Association (ABSHCBDA). His comments highlighted several important points:

  1. Presentation Quality: Dr. Ayalew noted that the presentation was not only engaging but also highly informative. He emphasized the necessity of sharing this valuable information with key development actors to enhance collaboration and support for the association’s initiatives.
  2. Achievements of ABSHCBDA: He commended ABSHCBDA for its significant achievements, recognizing the value it has added to the overall development of the Woreda. These accomplishments underline the importance of the association’s work in fostering progress within the community.
  3. Logical Meeting Process: The Vice Head acknowledged that the meeting followed a logical sequence, facilitating effective discussion. He pointed out that the group work discussion points were carefully selected based on the challenges the association has encountered in its development journey. This approach opened up opportunities to explore solutions and ways to address these challenges.
  4. Collective Responsibility: Dr. Ayalew stressed that all meeting participants share a collective responsibility to strengthen the association. He urged everyone to work together to create a resilient community, emphasizing the importance of improving ABSHCBDA’s visibility and ensuring its financial sustainability.
  5. Office Establishment: He recommended that the establishment of offices should not be limited to the Woreda level. Instead, there should also be a liaison office in Addis Ababa, in addition to the office in Bahir Dar. This expansion would significantly enhance the association’s visibility and accessibility to stakeholders and partners.
  6. Professional Representation: Dr. Ayalew concluded by advocating for the assignment of capable professionals at the regional coordination office. These individuals should represent the association in various forums and events, ensuring that ABSHCBDA’s voice is heard and its initiatives supported at all levels.

In summary, the meeting not only served as a platform for discussing past accomplishments but also laid a solid foundation for future efforts and collaboration aimed at strengthening the organization and benefiting the broader community