Projects and Proposal of the Zalanbessa-Irob Rehabilitation and Development Association (ZIRDA)

Dear Rev. Abba Tesfamariam Baraki,

It is my pleasure and delight to express my heartfelt greetings with the special gratitude for your concerned and compassionate approach for your holistic dedication to bring sustainable development to our people who remain always looking forward to see the day of victory over common enemy, abject poverty. Poverty is not beyond human effort to be eradicated if all the members of the society united in a single heart under same objectives of development.

I have not prepared the action plan yet; however, hereby I’ve attached the Irob project proposal. We are looking for funds to rehabilitate and construct primary schools in Irob Woreda.

In fact, I am emailing you without your consent; and hope you will not be upset with me. I am preparing also some other project proposals in a better way on the following areas: construction of public library in Dawhan; building market for the women who sell their items under the sun and dusty wind; and construction of boreholes in Irob to be used for irrigation. I am on my way to prepare many other projects hoping it'll make a little difference in the lives of our people.

Unfortunately, we do not have donors to submit the project proposal to for funding. It is my hope that you might find us some charity organizations in the USA, that I may submit the project proposals in accordance with the areas of their interest.

The two years of action plan will be ready soon.

Thank you very much for your cooperation and God bless you.

Yours respectively,

Guelay Welde
General Manager of ZIRDA

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
May 19, 2006

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Irob woreda is located in the north-eastern tip of Tigray Regional State. It covers a land area of about 85,000 hectares, with an estimated population of 30,230.

Agriculture including animal husbandry is the mainstay of livelihood for the population. Shortage and erratic rainfall are serious problems in undertaking agricultural activity in the woreda. Continuous degradation of environmental resources accompanied by high birth rate (about 3 percent per annum) have further diminished the size of arable land holding to 0.25 hectare per household in the woreda. Peasants of the woreda produce Cereal that could feed them only for 2-3 months in a year. Such very low agricultural out puts result chronic food insecurity.

The Ethio-Eritrean invasion of May 1998 has grossly devastated the livelihood means of the population. The entire habitants were not only displaced by the Eritrean invasion, but the limited available development infrastructures were purposely destroyed too. Most of the primary schools of the woreda were seriously damaged and dilapidated. Their facilities were looted, that remained without traces of reference books, laboratory equipment and other materials to pursue proper teaching -learning process. As result, thousands of students are compelled to attend class sitting down on stones and/or ground, under twig sheds exposed to harsh hot and cold weather.

Understanding the absence of any essential cash crop or any other means of income generation in the woreda, the hard working and innovative Irob people, who has developed excellent land use management, believe that education is the only way out from the existing abject poverty and economic degradation. From their experience they know that improved livelihood of any community is illusion without education. That is why they send their children to school at any cost, expecting the return of education in the long term. Therefore, it is up to the development agencies to invest in the human resource of these people that enables them not only to be self-reliant but also to control the negative effect of environment through adopting new techniques in the long-term.

Hence, this project proposal has been prepared to alleviate some of the significant problems manifested in the education sector in the woreda by mobilizing resources from ZIRDA’s development partners and the beneficiaries.

The total cost for the construction of four lower primary schools (1-4 grade) and eight additional class-rooms for Alittena and Engal primary schools is estimated to be about Birr two million.

ZIRDA is a non-profit making indigenous NGO, established in 2003, with the distinctive objectives of alleviating a burden some tasks of rehabilitation and development endeavor undertaken by the Tigray Regional National State government and other concerned parties, in Irob and Gulomakeda woredas, which still suffer a lot from the aftermath of the Invasion war. To materialize the intended missions and objectives of ZIRDA, this project proposal has been developed for Irob woreda, focusing on the pressing needs of educational establishments.

2. WHAT IS ZIRDA?

The Woreda Education Office in collaboration with the Woreda Administration Council has requested Zalaanbessa Irob Rehabilitation and Development Association (ZIRDA) to assist the community of the Irob to create access to education.

ZIRDA is a non-profit making indigenous non-governmental organization licensed by the Ministry of Justice in August 2003. The main missions and objectives of ZIRDA are (i) to rehabilitate the educational institutions destroyed by the Ethio-Eritrean war in 1998 in Irob and Gulomakda woredas, and (ii) to contribute in creating poverty free woredas of Gulomakda and Irob in the long range. ZIRDA, in collaboration with development partners, concerned governmental and non-governmental organizations and the localities has commenced development activities in the woredas. So far the Association has undertaken the following activities:

Mobilization of resources from the localities, including Diaspora, irrespective of their native affiliation and organization to pool labor, material, financial, and intellectual resources for the common goals.
Conducted Socio-Economic survey of the two woredas in which pressing needs of the localities are identified and set-out in order of their priority.
Conducted capacity building Training for 368 Gulomakda and Irob Woredas Administrative and Development staff which was financed by the Department for International Development (DFID), through the British Embassy.
Submitted a project proposal to Japan Embassy, for the construction of eight (8) complementary classrooms for the primary schools and supply of teaching materials at Zalaanbessa Town. The Japan Embassy accepted the project proposal and the construction of primary school in Zalanbessa is already singed a contract with the contractor. In addition to that, the Japan Embassy helped 2083 books, and 408 school desks, which is under the process of distribution to 22 schools in Gulomakeda and Irob woredas.

3. THE PROJECT AREA

Irob Woreda is located in the North-Eastern tip of the Tigray Regional State. In the woreda only 5,192 students which is 39% gross enrollment, have got access to primary education. Gender partiality is also high.

Bounded with Eritrea in the North and East; Gulomakda Woreda in the west and Afar National Regional State and Saesi-Embassy woreda in the South. The woreda’s Administrative structure constitute seven “Tabias” and twenty-one “Kushets;” the lowest administrative unit. It hosts for about 30,230 people, of which 51% and 49% are female and male respectively.

Total area of the woreda is estimated to be 85,000 hectares, of which 2% is arable land, 8% is grazing land, 43% forest land, 15% marginal land and 33% is covered by cactus, a stable fruit in “Kiremt” season. The landscape is very rugged and stony, with steep slopes and deep narrow valleys carved out by flash floods from the mountains and hills. The Irob used to be a pastoral people, moving with their goats and cattle from the mountains on the Eastern escarpment to the lower plains. It was since the first quarter of the 20^th century that they have begun to seek ways to grow their own cereal, as they could no longer obtain enough cereal by selling their animals. Irob community are not only hardworking, but indigenous innovators too. With the given very scarce arable land (2% of the total area), they strive to survive by developing a very labor intensive form of cropping technique. They have been creating pockets of arable land, where there was only rock before along rugged areas by harvesting water and silt flowing off the high lands to wards the Afar plain.

Land in general, and arable land in particular is among the most scarce resource in the woreda. The average arable land size is less than 0.25 hectare/a households, probably the smallest land hold size in the country. Low arable land size per a holder, accompanied by erratic rainfall and traditional farming practice has led the Irob people to a chronic food shortage. The Irob community produces cereal out put that can only feed them for less than three months in a year. They are remote from government services such as education, health, rural road, water and power supply, grain mill, etc. Currently there are few schools and health posts in the woreda, however, many of them are not equipped with necessary materials and manpower. Students attend their classes either under tree shades or plastic sitting on stones.

Upon the requests of the Irob Woreda Education Office and the priority set in the participatory survey conducted in 2004 by the ZIRDA, this project proposal has been prepared to construct lower primary schools and some additional class rooms in some existing schools, where students are learning overcrowded.

4. POLICY ENVIRONMENT

Education is very important factor for social and economic development of any nation. Taking into account the role of education on overall development, the Federal Democratic Government of Ethiopia has given high emphasis on the development of the education sector. In its Education and training policy document, it has indicated that the country will meet universal primary education by 2015. However, this will not be attained merely by the government endeavor, but with active participation of communities and nongovernmental organizations, local as well as international. It is with such a sprit that our organization, ZIRDA, has prepared this project proposal to your laudable office.

5. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION

Combination of poor natural resources endowment, low level of socio economic development, concurrent drought, high population growth rate and being remote from education opportunity have resulted in chronic food insecurity in the Irob woreda.

The Ethio-Eritrean conflict has also grossly aggravated the livelihood means of the people of the woreda. During the invasion, ¾ of the woreda area was occupied by the Eritrean army, which resulted in displacement of more than 75% of the total population of the woreda. Homesteads and limited existing available development infrastructures within the reach of the Eritrean combatant artilleries were demolished. Moreover, some villages and few small towns were leveled to the ground, with nothing left but rubble. The neighboring Town of Zalanbessa can be cited as a good example. The devastating effect of the invasion has manifested itself in all spheres of life in the area.

All educational institutions were among the targets of the Eritrean soldiers. The limited available schools were looted and destroyed. As a consequence, nearly of 6000 students of the woreda had been forced to halt their schooling and migrated to other unoccupied areas of the woreda and some where else.

It is true that multifaceted rehabilitation programs have been undertaken by the National Regional State of Tigray in the woreda. However, the new constructed schools do not meet the fast growing demand for schooling in the woreda. Hence, around 39 classes are running currently under a plastic shed with out proper facilities. Students do attend classes under twig-sheds exposed to harsh hot and cold weather, sitting on stones and bare ground.

Some schools, which were built in haste as a matter of relief-work, are not only insufficient in size and number, but also do not meet the growing demand for primary education in the woreda. One may observe the extent of the learning-teaching problems in the woreda.

Although agriculture is the mainstay of livelihood for the majority of the population, the locality under question is drought-proven area. Crop products feeds only for 2-3 months.

Pursuant to the mission and objectives of ZIRDA, it has determined, of course, in collaboration with development partners, to curb the existing education problem in the woreda.

ZIRDA is, therefore, extremely in need of assistance from development partners to finance this problem-oriented project, as it is afore-mentioned above, nether neither the communities nor the public are in a position to finance for the construction of primary schools.

Table 1 Current educational problems in Irob woreda

No	Name of School	Grade	No of students	No of classes Run Under sheds	Remarks
1	Alitena	1-8	749	12
2	Engal	5-8	382	9	(Jointly run with catholic Mission)
3	Sebata	1-4	120	4	Fully
4	Kafna	1-3	123	4	" "
5	Meketa	1-4	172	6	" "
6	Seralo	1-4	101	4	" "
Total		---	1647	39	" "

Table 2 Schools where non-formal education is running in Irob woreda

No	Name of School	Grade	No of students	Remarks
1	Kibedaga	1	40	Under Shed
2	Abe	1	35	" "
3	Messeta	1	45	" "
4	Warrimela	1	37	" "
5	Seide	1	42	" "
6	Dabaito	1	33	" "
7	Orro	1	30	" "
Total		--	262

Table 3 number of student

6. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

General objectives of this project proposal is to:

Advocate the right to education of the Irob people

Specific objectives include, among others;

To create equitable and quality primary education distribution in the region.
To support the on-going rehabilitating and developing the educational programs of the regional government in the woreda.
To ensure primary education opportunity in the woreda.
To contribute to the achievement of the MDG in education sector in the woreda.

7. EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND BENEFITS

As touched upon earlier, the benefits to be derived from fostering educational opportunities in the woreda, as in any locality or region, is expected to be significant just to mention only the immediately visible benefits:

More than 700 school-aged children will get access to primary education.
Reduce the existing over-crowdedness which is more than 80 student-class ratio to not more than 70 student-class ratio, which in turn contributes to quality of education.
Contribute to the attainment of MDG and improve the existing wide gender parity.
Contribute to positive attitude change towards modernization, efficiency and enhancing democracy.
Literacy rate will increase, by large.
Eventually, as a manifestation of the above benefits; family planning programs, better income, self-reliance, good governance and overall improved standard of life will be attained.

8. PROJECT ACTIVITIES BY MAJOR COMPONENTS

8.1 CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND ADDITIONAL CLASS ROOMS

In order to change the present low Net enrollment rate, wide gender disparity and to improve the quality of education in the woreda, based on the pressing need of Woreda Administrative Council and Education Office, construction of four primary schools and eight additional class rooms will be carried out at different “Kushets.”

(i) Alitena: At present there is one complete primary school (Grade 1-8) at Alitena. The school has only four classrooms; sixteen sections are being run under a plastic and/or corrugated iron-sheet shed. Hence, there is an urgent need to construct four additional class-rooms at Alitena.

(ii) Engal: currently, there is one 1-5 primary school owned by Catholic Mission. In line with the woreda Administration Education Policy to have a complete Elementary school at every Tabia level, there is an immediate need of constructing additional four class-rooms as a complementary to the existing 1-5 primary school at the Engal Tabia. Otherwise after the completion of 5^th grade, the Student will have no chance to continue their education, as there is no a nearby school to attend classes.

(iii) All Sebata, Kafna, Meketa, and Seralo, kushets, all pupil are attending their classes either in shanty houses owned by individual farmers or under plastic shed, sitting on stones or on bare ground. Therefore, there is urgent and highest priority to construct four lower primary schools (1-4 grade) at each above mentioned “kushets.” Such demand for education has come from the local people, woreda Education Office and Administrative Council.

8.2 PURCHASES AND DELIVERY OF 272 SCHOOL DESKS

As mentioned earlier, attending class under plastic shades, sitting on stones and seeing pupils taking notes on their laps is not exceptional, but common phenomena almost at all primary schools of the woreda. Hence, in order to curb such serious problems, at least gradually, 272 desks is proposed to purchase and deliver for the new 4 lower primary schools and the additional 8 complementary class-rooms to be constructed at various Tabias and “kushets”.

The above quantity of desks is estimated based on the assumption of one desk for three students. The cost of desks is estimated to be Eth. Birr 112, 450. 24. Besides the above-mentioned major activities, the following supportive activities will be under taken:

Recruiting professional staffs to undertake the project.
Preparing action-plan of the project for the year 2006/7.
Preparing construction designs for the primary schools, when fund is secured.
Preparing bid documents and floating for bidders.
Implementing the Action plan, monitoring and evaluating the project as per the agreement that will be entered with the donor agency,
Mobilizing local communities so that they will be actively participate in supplying local materials, labor and finance.
Establishing task forces from ZIRDA, Woreda concerned bodies and others, for the effective and efficient implementation of the project.

9. PROJECT INPUTS

Inputs required for the efficient and effective implementation of the project include Human, material and financial resources.

9.1 Human resources

All the available human resources of ZIRDA particularly the project coordinating manager will fully work for the efficient and successful implementation of the project.
A project contractor for the construction of the schools and purchasing suppliers of educational materials will be recruited on competitive base.
A supervising officer, for the inspection of construction of schools, will be temporarily recruited.
As required, experts of the Association will assist for the effective implementation of the project.
For the smooth implementation of the project, ZIRDA will organize task force from the Woreda Education Office, communities and Administrative Council and it will redress problems encountered promptly.

9.2 Material resources

Local communities are expected to provide required labor, materials and land for the construction of schools and complementary classrooms.
9.3 Financial resources

See this in the financial analysis section.

10. PROJECT STRATEGIES

Efforts will be made to submit project proposal to potential development agencies.
Educational materials and equipment will be supplied for the needy schools to facilitate the normal learning -teaching processes.
ZIRDA, the financing agency, the Woreda Educational Office, communities and Administrative Council will work closely to complete the project as per the schedule.
The partners will have a follow-up monitoring and evaluation body to redress deviations of the project progress.

11. PROJECT ASSUMPTIONS

The realization of this project proposal lies on couple assumption (i) fund will be obtained from development partners, and (ii)10% of the total project cost will be covered by the beneficiaries.

12. COMMUNITIES AND INSTITUTIONAL CO-OPERATION

Zalanbessa-Irob Rehabilitation and Development Association (ZIRDA) believes that the local resources are the main pillars of any socioeconomic development. Among them, the outstanding force is the human resources. Hence, Community involvement in full cycle of activities starting from problem identification, planning, implementing and monitoring is the cornerstone of ZIRDA’s undertakings. Even though a significant portion of the project total cost is expected from donors, it should not be forgotten that the matching or partial cost of the project is expected to be covered from the community themselves, which could express in terms of labor, supply of local materials, land and others.

Local administrative authorities are also expected to play a great role in facilitating land allocation for the construction of the primary schools and for the smooth implementation, monitoring and evaluating of the project programme.

13. PROJECT ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT

ZIRDA has organized itself as non-profit making indigenous local NGO, stationed in Addis-Ababa. It is run by a Board of Directors elected by General Assembly. The Board of Directors appoints a General Manager, who is responsible to manage the Association. It has a branch office in Adigrat that coordinates and facilitates project activities to be carried out in Irob and Gulomakeda woredas. Moreover, it will form a task force from the Board members, who have adequate exposure and relevant experience in project monitoring.

14. PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Monitoring the project activities will be an in-built part of the project. Thus, the activities will be monitored regularly as per the implementation schedule of the project. The monitoring task will be a participatory process that will involve the key stakeholders of the project. ZIRDA will prepare quarterly and yearly progress reports and will submit it to all concerned bodies timely. It will also undertake review sessions with the partners of the project.

The outcomes of all monitoring exercise shall be shared among the key stakeholders and the recommendations will be used as inputs for further changes and improvements to enhance the quality and efficiency of the on-going project activities.

Impact evaluation can be undertaken as required, after the termination of the project. The lessons drawn from the evaluation shall be used for future project improvement and intervention.

15. PROJECT COSTS AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

he total cost involved in the construction, purchase and delivery of school, desks and other rated cost is estimated to be about Birr 2 million.

The break-down of the cost in relation to major project components is shown below:

C Construction of primary schools

As per the standard costs set by the Ministry of Education, the cost of construction of one lower primary school (1-4 grade) is Eth.Birr 315,059.55. Thus; for:

Construction of 4 lower primary schools
315,059.55x4 =1,260,238.20
Construction of 8 complementary class-rooms Birr = 428,225.66
Sub-total of construction costs = 1,688,463. 86

Cost estimation for school furniture

For 272 Desks 272x413.42 = 112,450.24
For 24 Tables 24x368.69 = 8,848.56
For 24 Chairs 24x173.19 = 4,156. 56
For 24 Blackboards 24x251.51 = 5,172. 24

Sub-total of school furniture Birr = 130,627.60

Transportation and perdiem for staff Travel

Transport costs for furniture lump sum=5000.00

Perdiem for staff travel for supervision and follow-up at a Birr 150.00 per day for 35 days x150.00=5250.00

Transportation cost for staff travel (Air-ticket, field-car rent etc)

Lump-sum= 7,000.00

Sub-total = 17,250.00

School construction Supervisor salary 2500x8 months =20,000.00

Community contribution 55,090.24

Total project cost Birr 1,911,431.84

Contingencies at 5% 95,571.59

Grand Total 2,007,003.43

Exchange rate: 1dollar=8.68 Birr

The following slides-show is an exibition of shabby twig-tent-classrooms of Alitena primary school, of Kafna lower primary school, and of Sabata lower primary school in Irob Woreda, Tigray (northern Ethiopia)

To enlarge the slide-shows, click on the hyperlink below and press F11

Schools of twigs in Irob

All those who are interested in helping out the efforts of ZIRDA in constructing new classrooms for the destitute but eager-to-learn and hungry-for-knowledge-children and/or expanding and improving inadequate schools to enable them to accomodate more students, you can send your donation via Irob Relief and Rehabilitation Operations Brotherhood (IRROB), Inc. or simply donate online by clicking on the banner here below

(designated/earmarked for ZIRDA's School Project in Irob) or by mail at the following address:

IRROB
P.O. Box 4448
Washington, DC 20017 (USA)