the success story of Metaferia Simunigus
From a meager income to a big asset owner through tree planting at Wof Washa :
GETTING STARTED:
SUNARMA started working with Metaferia Simunigus and his youth group (SUNARMA Limat) members in 2003 at Tarma Ber Woreda. The SUNARMA approach was training the group on the use of planting trees and protecting soil erosion. Metaferaia was among the eight group members who quickly took up these project activities. He made some terraces across the slopes of the degraded plot across from his small thatch-roofed house.
The following year he took some 2550 eucalyptus tree seedlings from SUNARMA and planted them on the plot. He also planted 11-apple trees he received from SUNARMA on his family garden. For a young, energetic man in his mid twenties, looking after these seedlings was not difficult at all. He knows how trees and apples are very useful in his village.
FIRST HARVEST
Metaferia tasted his first harvest of apple produce in 2006. And he sold his first year 2006 apple harvest for Birr 42(about £3), second year for Birr 220 and third year for Birr 175. With these earnings, he bought poultry, a nanny goat and a ewe which has already lambed twice. “I sold for a cheaper price because I didn’t know better market opportunities in big towns. But from this year sale, I expect more than Birr 4000.00,” Metaferia said.
REINVESTING IN HIS FUTURE
After five years, in 2008, Metaferia made his first good harvest of eucalyptus trees that earned him a good amount of money; he sold his eucalyptus poles for Birr 2500.00. He spent Birr 2000.00 to buy a local heifer breed that can produce 5 litres a day. “I named her ‘gizeworq’ which means ‘time is gold’. I learnt that if I use my time properly I can change my life,” he said. With the rest amount of the money, he bought a ewe for Birr 400.00 and a dress for his wife Zewdnesh Hailemariam.
Zewdnesh manages much of poultry breeding. She cooks good meals with the eggs of her chickens and sells some to the near market. This income helps her to cover household consumption items. Metaferia’s life has improved after he joined SUNARMA. "Before I joined SUNARMA, I had only an ox, but today I am the owner of a heifer, 4 sheep, a goat, poultries, 11 apple trees and more than 2600 eucalyptus trees,” he said, “particularly the income from the sale of eggs has reduced the financial burden on us. Now we eat well because we don’t sell our cereal crops to buy edible oil, salt, coffee,sugar and other items.”
THE FUTURE
Referring to his future plan, Metaferia said: “I expect more than Birr 10,000.00 from the sale of apple and eucalyptus poles. Therefore, in two year’s time I will be able to start my own small shop business.” Pointing to his pendant with a hanging cross, Metaferia said firmly “this is my Christian promise that I will never break. I have the same promise with SUNARMA…not to waste the skill and inputs I receive from SUNARMA.” Metaferia and his group members are working hard to improve the degraded land by planting trees. As the area is located across from the big Wof Washa forest, it will help reduce the pressure on the forest. Metaferia and his group members have become a model for the local communities with this regard and many of them are taking up the exemplary activities.
This is one of the many instances that show the objective of the SUNARMA’s project will hit the target of improving rural livelihoods through the participatory management of natural resources.