Making money with traditional activities

Bale Eco-region Sustainable Management Project

The Bale Mountains is a unique environment with a rich biodiversity. It is home to the largest Afro-alpine habitat in the whole of Africa and contains many species of wildlife endemic to that area. But threats to the area are growing rapidly. The forests are not being managed properly and local people are fast depleting the resources - cutting down trees to clear land for crops and livestock, and to create firewood and charcoal to sell.

To ensure the forest is preserved for future generations, those living in this area need to find alternative ways to make a living that protect rather than exploit natural resources. Building on the success of our previous participatory forest management work, FARM-Africa is helping communities to turn traditional activities into income-generating enterprises, and to take responsibility for conserving their forest habitat now and for the future.

How are communities benefiting?

Training and education means that communities are better placed to protect the remaining forest by using its resources in a sustainable manner.

• Traditional activities like beekeeping, making furniture from bamboo and growing wild coffee together with new enterprises like eco-tourism are giving communities the chance to earn money without cutting down trees. Communities are developing these activities, and linking them to markets.
• Fuel efficient stoves made from local materials are becoming common place, significantly reducing demand for firewood to cook with.
• Forest communities are working with local governments to develop formal forest management plans to preserve their home for future generations and protect the local environment.

Who are we helping?

The project will directly benefit around 7,500 in communities that are now able to prosper thanks to their new enterprises in areas such as eco-tourism, honey production and raffia weaving. The increased economic prosperity will reach around 80,000 people living in the region.

Project partners

FARM-Africa is working together with SOS Sahel.

For more information, please visit the project's own website.

Ibrahim's story

Ibrahim lives with his wife Etenesh and their young daughter Yani in the Bale Mountains region of southern Ethiopia.  Despite living in the centre of the local bamboo trade, Ibrahim was unable to find employment and struggled to support his family.

Highland bamboo has long been traded at local markets to make fences and simple furniture, however community members including Ibrahim were unaware that they could use the forests’ bamboo as a source of income.

FARM-Africa trained Ibrahim, along with others in his community in bamboo furniture making.  Ibrahim participated in a three month apprenticeship and was provided with tools to make his own bamboo furniture. 

FARM-Africa also supported Ibrahim to take part in a business skills mentoring programme – helping him to understand market processes so he could get a good price from the sale of his furniture.

After returning from training, Ibrahim was able to secure orders for furniture from the national park, local hotels, a library and from private customers.  His new business has been so successful that he is currently building a coffee shop and art gallery entirely from bamboo and eucalyptus from a nearby plantation.  This venture combines his two passions for bamboo and sculpting local plants, animals and people.  It is the first two-storey house in the area to be made of bamboo and Ibrahim hopes it will serve as a demonstration to his neighbours of the versatility of the material:

In his own words

‘It will show everybody who passes that an entire house can be made simply of bamboo, which is cheap and easily available’.

Not only has Ibrahims’ income increased as a result of his furniture sales, but his new livelihood ensures the forest’s natural resources can be sustainably used for generations to come.  Bamboo is quick growing and abundant in the area, so using it for furniture making reduces the pressure on endangered native trees.  As Ibrahim states:

‘Working in bamboo minimises the pressure on trees that take much longer to grow and that have been deforested in recent years’

Ibrahim’s furniture making business has not only transformed the lives of his family but is also helping to extend the life of the forest too.

Working Papers

Scaling-up Success - FARM-Africa's new strategy for development
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