My name is Aman Ararso, I’m 35 years old and I’m married. I’m a Social Worker by profession (Post-graduate in Development Management) with a background in Sociology and Social Anthropology. Before joining ERCS-West Arsi Zone branch in 2019, I was working in different other local NGOs which were working on the development of economies and social issues including WASH programmes in both rural and urban communities. I was working on the different roles of: Social Worker, Field officer, MEAL officer.
Currently in West Arsi Zone Branch, I am the Project Coordinator in Kokkosa district. My main role is the coordination and organization of the WASH components through smooth communication among local communities, stakeholders, partners and volunteers. I also played a great role both during 1st and 2nd cycle Skybird micro project planning and implementation together with other concerned actors.
WASH and livelihood are the main themes of the Skybird MP in West Arsi zone. It aims at promoting the supply of potable water, sanitation and hygiene practices and also improving the living conditions of socially and economically vulnerable target beneficiaries.
My most favorite moment was during a joint monitoring visit by the team, made in April 5/2022, where one of the economically vulnerable, widower beneficiary made and showed a successful remark of how the Skybird micro project had improved her living condition from misfortune and the worst side of her life.
After she got 4 sheep from the project she was able to feed, clothe and teach her 4 children. She has been breeding the sheep in proper manner because of that the number of her rumnants currently increased from 4 to 12. By selling 2 of the rumnants she enrolled her elder son who is visually impaired at a special school in the center of Addis Ababa. Currently her misfortune chapter of life is relieved because she is able to engage in petty trade in her local area through which she can safe money and she is now ready to purchase a heifer.
On the same date another success story of one beneficiary made me happy. The beneficiary received both agricultural tools and improved and selected vegetable seeds from the Skybird project. After he cultivated the seeds based on the given trainings, he was able to harvest and then used some for home consumption and sold the excess at local markets and purchased 5 Sheep and 1 Bullock with it.
My experience is that besides using other necessary inputs and components for the success of the project closely working together with indigenous local elders i.e Abba Gadas, Sinke mothers, religious leaders and using indigenous knowledge could simplify our way of planning, monitoring, evaluation and also enable us to sustain the project by trust building in the local communities. We learnt a lot of experiences from these honoured and legendary persons on how, where, and when to work on a project within local communities based on their experiences.