Dir Biyabir
Past Projects
Entreprenuirship for Rural Youth
The goal of the entrepreneurship initiative is to provide the youth with training in specific skills such as making footwear, producing and repairing farm tools, weaving, horticulture, and improved beehives. The project will also assist the youth in starting their own businesses in their communities based on their newly acquired skills.
Adheno - Web Site Design
Designed and built a website for Adheno, a registered Ethiopian NGO focused on rural development.
Adheno - Workgur Primary School
Raised a total of US$4188 to help build a primary school in the village of Workgur (prior to incorporating as Dir Biyabir). This is the first modern school in the village of Workgur. It now enrolls over 200 students in grades one through four. Dir Biyabir also provided funds to buy shoes for the pupils for the school's inauguration.
School Books for Workegur Primary School
ADHENO built the first modern primary school in the village of Workegur in Goshebado in 2006 with funding from the Japanese Embassy and additional support from Dir Biyabir members. Though the school is a modern facility, books and equipment are severely lacking. ADHENO is working with Dir Biyabir to secure funds to purchase text books for the students and to build a school library. In June 2008, Dir Biyabir provided funds for the purchase of text books for the school using donations from a small group of members who supported this cause. The following books have been purchased. A book shelf with a size of 1.5m x 1.5m has also been purchased and handed over to the school. The plan is to have each student return the books at the end of the academic year so they may be used by incoming students in the new academic year.
Update - Though all the books listed above were purchased, they were not distributed to the students due to bureaucratic complications with the local administration. Funds to purchase the books had to be provided to the regional education office as the official text books for the Northern Shewa region can not be purchased in Addis Abeba. However once the books were purchased, the regional education office stored them in their warehouse and ADHENO was unable to get these books released to the students.
After trying unsuccessfully for over one year to recover and distribute the text books that were purchased in 2008, it appears unlikely that these books will be released for use in the targeted school as planned, and efforts to retrieve them have had to be abandoned. Dir Biyabir has notified the four members who together contributed over 85% of the funds used for the purchase of these books. This has been an extremely frustrating and disappointing experience, but serves as a critical lesson learned that no funds should be placed at the disposal of organizations that are not Dir Biyabir approved. Despite this set-back, Dir Biyabir will continue to try to meet the dire need for books for school children in Ethiopia, but will ensure that books are purchased and placed directly in the hands of school-children with no third party intermediary. Since this approach does not seem to be possible with textbooks, Dir Biyabir will sponsor the purchase and distribution of other books that are available in private bookstores.
The goal of the entrepreneurship initiative is to provide the youth with training in specific skills such as making footwear, producing and repairing farm tools, weaving, horticulture, and improved beehives. The project will also assist the youth in starting their own businesses in their communities based on their newly acquired skills.
b. Irrigation-based Horticulture
The youth sub-group "Magiwasha Inideg Yeatikilit ina Firafire Limat Mehaber" consists of 35 youths. The local administration allocated the youths 2 hectares of irrigable land at the edge of the Berressa River in a low land area known locally as Magiwasha Kola Sulai. The area is located 20 kilometers due west from Debre Brehan. The youth submitted a business plan to Dir Biyabir in June 2008 for irrigation-based horticulture. The proposal was to generate revenue by planting and harvesting vegetables and fruit trees including lowland fruits like citrus, mango, and papaya. The requested start up capital was $23,830. ADHENO worked with the youth to satisfactorily answer follow up questions presented by Dir Biyabir regarding disease and insect control, storage, and profit sharing. In October 2008, Dir Biyabir awarded the youth 90% of the requested capital ($21,447 ETB, i.e. $2,151 USD). The youth were asked to contribute the remaining 10% from their membership fees.
Members of "Magiwasha Inideg Yeatikilit ina Firafire Limat Mehaber" in their farmland by the Beressa river
The latest onion harvest
The youth sub-group "Magiwasha Inideg Yeatikilit ina Firafire Limat Mehaber" consists of 35 youths. The local administration allocated the youths 2 hectares of irrigable land at the edge of the Berressa River in a low land area known locally as Magiwasha Kola Sulai. The area is located 20 kilometers due west from Debre Brehan. The youth submitted a business plan to Dir Biyabir in June 2008 for irrigation-based horticulture. The proposal was to generate revenue by planting and harvesting vegetables and fruit trees including lowland fruits like citrus, mango, and papaya. The requested start up capital was $23,830. ADHENO worked with the youth to satisfactorily answer follow up questions presented by Dir Biyabir regarding disease and insect control, storage, and profit sharing. In October 2008, Dir Biyabir awarded the youth 90% of the requested capital ($21,447 ETB, i.e. $2,151 USD). The youth were asked to contribute the remaining 10% from their membership fees.
Members of "Magiwasha Inideg Yeatikilit ina Firafire Limat Mehaber" in their farmland by the Beressa river
Update 2009 (see Report)
The youth effectively established their horticultural cooperative, registered it with the local government, and received training on financial management. By July 2009 they had planted and harvested 4000 kg (approximately 9,000 Ib) of onions from 1 hectare (approximately 2.5 acres, or 10,000 square meters) of land. The expected revenue from the sales of the onions is approximately $15,000 ETB ($1,328 USD).Key project accomplishments to date include:
- Generator installed at the edge of the Berressa River
- 10 meter wood bridge constructed on the head of the gully to transport generator
- Land prepared for irrigation.
- Local onion seeds purchased and sown on one hectare (balance saved for planting teff)
- Adjacent 4-5 hectares of land also ploughed
- Guard hut constructed and staffed around the clock
- Weeding undertook every week of the first month and every two weeks of the second month by each members of the association.
- 4,000 kilos of onions harvested (estimated market price of 15,000 ETB/ $1,318 USD)
- Onion seeds reserved for next planting season
- Fifty improved orange seedlings provided by ADHENO planted adjacent to Onion field.
- Every two weeks every members of the association are obliged to participate in a meeting. Challenges encountered, possible solutions and future plans discussed and minutes of the meeting recorded by the secretary of the Association.
The latest onion harvest
a. Bee-keeping
One of the youth subgroups, the "Goshebado Tsigereda Wetatoch Mahiber", developed a detailed business plan for a beekeeping enterprise, and submitted it to DirBiyabir. I. The proposal was to generate revenue by selling honey, a prized commodity in the local community, as well as beeswax which is in high demand by Ethiopian Orthodox churches for making candles. DirBiyabir sent full funding ($15, 270 ETB or $1,651 USD) to the youth group for the bee keeping project. Funding was raised from membership dues and individual donations. Accomplishments to date by the youth include:
One of the youth subgroups, the "Goshebado Tsigereda Wetatoch Mahiber", developed a detailed business plan for a beekeeping enterprise, and submitted it to DirBiyabir. I. The proposal was to generate revenue by selling honey, a prized commodity in the local community, as well as beeswax which is in high demand by Ethiopian Orthodox churches for making candles. DirBiyabir sent full funding ($15, 270 ETB or $1,651 USD) to the youth group for the bee keeping project. Funding was raised from membership dues and individual donations. Accomplishments to date by the youth include:
- Completion of a 5 day training program on modern apiculture and increasing the production of honey and beeswax given by the Woreda Agricultural and Rural Development office experts.
- Purchase of 30 modern 3-stage beehives with movable frames.
- Installation of the beehives in the Berkomas enclosure area where the natural vegetation is protected from animals and humans and has therefore been flourishing. The hives were installed at the edge of the hill 10 -15% slope facing west, sunlight position was also considered.
- Construction of guard houses on hilltop overlooking beehives to protect them from animals and intruders.
- Transfer of 21 bee colonies into the modern beehives.
Bee-keeping trainer and training participants
Beehives have been mounted on racks in the "Berkomas" enclosure area
Update 2009
In addition to the modern bee hives that currently house bees, the group has installed seven traditional bee hives. These hives contain a number of bees that the team plans to transfer to the modern hives. The team that is assisted by a local agricultural extension worker has determined that it is better to leave the current bee population in the traditional hives to be acclimated to the environment and immediate conditions before they are transferred into the modern hives. The bee-keeping entrepreneurial team expected its first harvest in May and in terms of profitability they are hopeful that they can at least break even.Adheno - Web Site Design
Designed and built a website for Adheno, a registered Ethiopian NGO focused on rural development.
Adheno - Workgur Primary School
Raised a total of US$4188 to help build a primary school in the village of Workgur (prior to incorporating as Dir Biyabir). This is the first modern school in the village of Workgur. It now enrolls over 200 students in grades one through four. Dir Biyabir also provided funds to buy shoes for the pupils for the school's inauguration.
School Books for Workegur Primary School
ADHENO built the first modern primary school in the village of Workegur in Goshebado in 2006 with funding from the Japanese Embassy and additional support from Dir Biyabir members. Though the school is a modern facility, books and equipment are severely lacking. ADHENO is working with Dir Biyabir to secure funds to purchase text books for the students and to build a school library. In June 2008, Dir Biyabir provided funds for the purchase of text books for the school using donations from a small group of members who supported this cause. The following books have been purchased. A book shelf with a size of 1.5m x 1.5m has also been purchased and handed over to the school. The plan is to have each student return the books at the end of the academic year so they may be used by incoming students in the new academic year.
| S/N | Book type |
Grade | ||||||||||||
| Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | |||||||||||
| Qut. | Unit Price | Total | Qut. | Unit Price | Total | Qut. | Unit Price | Total | Qut. | Unit Price | Total | |||
| 1 | Amharic | Student text book |
80 | 4.70 | 376 | 80 | 3.50 | 280 | 80 | 3.90 | 312 | 80 | 4.20 | 336 |
| 2 | Maths | 80 | 4.30 | 344 | 80 | 3.80 | 304 | 80 | 4.20 | 336 | 80 | 7.20 | 576 | |
| 3 | English | 79 | 5.50 | 434.50 | 80 | 4.40 | 352 | 80 | 4.90 | 392 | 80 | 6.20 | 496 | |
| Total | 239 | 1154.50 | 240 | 936 | 240 | 1040 | 240 | 1408 | ||||||
Text book purchace breakdown (All prices are in ETB.)
Update - Though all the books listed above were purchased, they were not distributed to the students due to bureaucratic complications with the local administration. Funds to purchase the books had to be provided to the regional education office as the official text books for the Northern Shewa region can not be purchased in Addis Abeba. However once the books were purchased, the regional education office stored them in their warehouse and ADHENO was unable to get these books released to the students.
After trying unsuccessfully for over one year to recover and distribute the text books that were purchased in 2008, it appears unlikely that these books will be released for use in the targeted school as planned, and efforts to retrieve them have had to be abandoned. Dir Biyabir has notified the four members who together contributed over 85% of the funds used for the purchase of these books. This has been an extremely frustrating and disappointing experience, but serves as a critical lesson learned that no funds should be placed at the disposal of organizations that are not Dir Biyabir approved. Despite this set-back, Dir Biyabir will continue to try to meet the dire need for books for school children in Ethiopia, but will ensure that books are purchased and placed directly in the hands of school-children with no third party intermediary. Since this approach does not seem to be possible with textbooks, Dir Biyabir will sponsor the purchase and distribution of other books that are available in private bookstores.