IPADA News for March and April 2025
The Ari Zone in South Ethiopia Region is one of the project areas of IPADA. Hence, between late March and early April 2005, Prof. Gebre Yntiso Deko, the Director of PADA, travelled to the zone to accomplish multiple tasks briefly discussed below.
1. Participation in zonal peace dialogue
The Ari Zone in South Ethiopia Region has been experiencing disagreement between government officials and a group of people opposed to the officials, and this posed risks to social cohesion, community peace, and socio-economic development. To address this challenge, the Ari Zone Administration organized a forum called “Zonal Dialogue for Peace and Development”, which lasted from 28 March to 04 April 2025. The Director of IPADA (Professor Gebre Yntiso Deko) was invited to attend the dialogue forum held in Jinka Town, the capital of Ari Zone, as a person of influence and as the leader of IPADA. During the dialogue process, the disagreements were amicably expressed and consensus was reached between disputants.
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2. Review the progress of spring water maintenance
In collaboration with five other organizations, IPADA recently launched spring water maintenance project in South Ari Woreda, Ari Zone, South Ethiopia Region. A total of 31 damaged springs were selected and are being maintained at the moment. The Director of IPADA (Prof. Gebre Yntiso Deko), the Chief Administrator of South Ari Woreda (Mr. Gizaw Haile), and other woreda level officials visited six spring maintenance sites to review the work progress. Of the 31 springs, 15 have already been repaired and/or developed. The team also learnt that some communities in the project area took initiatives to develop springs on their own, without any support from outside. IPADA’s works inspired the local community to mobilize funds, materials, and community labor to develop springs.
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3. Singing of a new agreement to construct public toilet and showers
Jinka Town, the capital of Ari Zone, lacks public toilet and communal showers. The lack of restrooms poses a significant challenge for guests such us tourists, market goers from the countryside, and other visitors. Due to open defecation and poor sanitation practices, the town is exposed to health risks such as the spread of infectious diseases. Many residents of Jinka Town take shower in the Neri River. This practice can negatively impact downstream users by introducing pollutants that lead to decreased water quality and health risks. Based on the request of Jinka Town Administration, IPADA and other five partners signed a project agreement to construct modern toilet with communal showers.
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4. Inauguration of seed multiplication using tractors
A group of 40 farmers residing in Chalegod Kebele (South Ari Woreda, Ari Zone, South Ethiopia Region), who used to plow their private lands using oxen until 2024, decided to introduce mechanized agriculture for the first time by renting tractors and covering related expenses. The farmers are expected to produce improved maize seeds on 108.5 ha of land for distribution to other farmers in Ari Zone and beyond. Prof. Gebre Yntiso Deko, the Director of IPADA, attended the event as a gust of honor and had the opportunity to discuss with the farmers, who reported to have encountered multiple challenges: lack of tractors, exorbitant rental costs, lack of furrower to create the planting ridges, and other spare parts. The representatives of the farmers requested if IPADA could help them with tractors and/or spare parts.
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