Bete Israel of North Shewa Development Program Bete Israel of North Shewa Assessment Report July 2019 1 Bete Israel of North Shewa Development Program North Shewa Assessment Report: Project development in agriculture, artisan crafts and community organizations in the North Shewa Zone of Amahra, centered in the city if Debre Brehan. All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to: [email protected] © CultivAid, 2019 2 Bete Israel of North Shewa Development Program Contents Contents ........................................................................................................................................................ 3 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................... 5 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Pathway of Development ......................................................................................................................... 8 Fields of development .............................................................................................................................. 8 Primary Activities: ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Profile of Team ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Part II: Community Development .................................................................................................... 12 The Bete Israel community ..................................................................................................................... 12 The Gedams ............................................................................................................................................ 13 Meetings and visits during the second assessment by the community team ........................................ 16 Important insights and highlights ........................................................................................................... 18 Professional Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 18 Part II: Agricultural Development ..................................................................................................... 20 Debre Brehan and surrounding agricultural sites ................................................................................... 21 Potential partners in Implementation .................................................................................................... 28 Professional Recommendations for the apple production in the region. .............................................. 28 Agricultural development ....................................................................................................................... 30 Part III: Artisan Craft Development .................................................................................................. 31 Debre Brehan .......................................................................................................................................... 32 Gedam ..................................................................................................................................................... 36 Additional sites........................................................................................................................................ 36 Concurrent research ............................................................................................................................... 36 Professional Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 37 Conclusions and Next steps ........................................................................................................................ 39 3 Bete Israel of North Shewa Development Program 4 Bete Israel of North Shewa Development Program Executive Summary The following document is an assessment report for North Shewa, based on a desk review and two learning journeys with Israeli experts to the region. The report provides recommendations for the initial phase of establishing a development program in the region. The Zone of North Shewa in the Amhara region of Ethiopia has been proposed for establishing a community-based Development program focusing on agricultural and artisan craft. The communities of the area have ancestral roots related to Bete Israel communities of Gondar and are related to the Jewish community of Kechene in Addis. The Bete Israel of North Shea are a marginalized populations who face discrimination based on their history and religious differences. This document provides an overview of the program area and insights into the Gedams (holy place used for prayer). Furthermore, it proposes the establishment of a development program aimed to improve the social and economic conditions of the Bete Israel Community of North Shewa that will be leveraged as a mechanism for region-wide development initiatives. The activities in the program will aim to reidentify the Bete Israel community of North Shewa and strengthen their historical ties while improving their economic and social standing. The program proposes to establish several projects in the realms of agriculture, water, artisanship crafts, education and community organization that will develop regional partnerships with multiple stakeholders. The program’s primary stakeholders are the Bete Israel communities of the Gedams (religious centers), Debre Brehan and Kechene. The program will seek to develop multiple stakeholders’ partnerships in the region. The program’s establishment will require additional data collection, with precise information of each Gedam that will be included in the program and the Bete Israel communities. The community projects will focus on establishing a community center in Debre Brehan and introducing relief technologies through the Gedams Agricultural projects will focus on fruit tree development, vegetable production, livestock program and capacity building. The Crafts projects will focus on introducing new technologies, improving production and market linkages while establishing Israel-Ethiopia partnerships in design. The document provides recommendations on activities, partnerships and a rough timeframe for initiation. The implementation of the program requires specific staff, which is detailed in the document as well. The connection to Jewish ancestry in Ethiopia is important for international Jewry, for Ethiopian Jews in Israel and for the establishment of a strong Jewish community in Ethiopia. The history of Ethiopia's Jews and the connection between these communities and Israel is important for establishing strong linkages between the countries and towards understanding our shared 5 Bete Israel of North Shewa Development Program history. The program established serves as a mechanism for promoting and developing Jewish led professional development. Introduction North Shewa is one of 10 Zones in the Ethiopian Amhara Region. The zone takes its name from the former kingdom or province of Shewa. The region's history stretches back to the kingdom of Aksum and to becoming the center for regional kings from the mid-10th century to the end of the 14th century. The area was conquered by Muslim forces from the state of Adal to the east and in the 1800's the kingdom of Shewa regained prominence under the leadership of Melenik II who established the borders of modern day Ethiopia. The Zone of Semien Shewa in Amhara is bordered on the south and the west by the Oromia Region, on the north by Debub Wollo and on the east by the Afar Region. Towns and cities in North Shewa include Ankober, Debre Berhan, and Shewa Robit. The population of the zone is now estimated between 3-5 million people. The administrative capital of the zone is Debre Brehan, located in Bossena Woreda, is proposed to be the central and intial site of implementation. Debre Brehan is 120 kilometers north east of Addis Ababa on a paved highway to Dessie. Debre Brehan is located at 9.680 deg latitude, 39.533 deg longitude, and 2,783 m elevation. It was an early capital of Ethiopia, as part of the Shewa Kingdom. The capital was afterwards moved to Ankober and Angolalla. Today, the city is the administrative center of the North Shewa Zone and thus a center of the zonal decision making. Based on the 2007 national census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this town has a total population of 65,231, with current estimates over 100,000. The Debre Brehan Municipality estimates a total population of 160,000. The city is located at an average of 2750 meter above sea level and classified as Dega- agro-climatic zone. The average temperatures range between 6.5 – 200 C and an average annual rainfall close to 1000 mm/yr. In the North Shewa