Community based local development associations have been performing crucial jobs in filing the gaps left by the government to alleviating poverty and addressing socioeconomic issues over the last two decades.
The Tigray, Amhara and Oromia development association have been influential in this regard. The three associations pursue similar values and missions to accomplish. The major common value is that all their projects are implemented through public participation, which enables them to create sense of ownership and transparency.
Moreover, the associations mobilize most of their financial resources from members and the public. They have been able to increase their members from time to time, currently exceeding 11 million in total.
The Tigray Development Association (TDA) has built 713 primary and secondary schools including libraries in the State during the past 26 years, said Tadele Hagos Association Executive Director.
He said since maintaining quality education is one of the priority goals of Nation, Qalamino Secondary Boarding School, built under TDA’s Flagship Project, is one of its best achievements.
The school has been offering scholarships for top scoring students of the State for the past nineteen years. Currently, it has increased its annual enrollment capacity from 360 to 520 and has set a plan to raise it to 1000 in the coming three years. According to Tadele, the boarding school’s students are best achievers in National Exams, which makes the program a success.
“TDA is also contributing to the State’s health sector through construction of health facilities, supplying medical materials and experts. We have built 81 hospitals, health centers and clinics,” added Tadele.
Public Relation and Communications Directorate Head at the Amhara Development Association (ADA), Alemayehu Moges told The Ethiopian Herald that tackling socioeconomic problems is not merely a task to be left to the government. Rather it calls for concerted efforts of all.
With this view, ADA has been widely implementing various projects in the education and health sectors by mobilizing the public and local resources.
He said the Association, in its 25 years existence, has built 2,827 kindergartens as well as primary, secondary, preparatory and Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schools. The Dessie town boarding school, whose ongoing construction reached 95 percent, is expected to start operation in the comming September.
In the health sector, 288 clinics, health centers and public toilets have been built by the Association. Some 23 ambulances have also been distributed for rural health care services.
These projects have created 11,517 jobs for youth and benefited more than 11 million people directly and indirectly in the state, according to Alemayehu.
Even though the Oromia Development Association (ODA) was established 1992, its performance had not been satisfactory until the 2009 reform, said Alemayehu Gezahegn, Association Public Relations Senior Expert.
Following the reform, ODA has implemented different programs and made significant contributions to several socioeconomic developmental activities of the State. It has built 1,125 regular schools, health centers, clinics, youth centers and clean water projects. Besides, 92 adult schools have been built in five pastoral zones of the State.
ODA has also constructed 347 kilo meters of rural roads in 27 woredas, according to him.
In order to reduce college student drop outs due to financial constraints, ODA has designed a saving mechanism for parents for the future education of their children once they reach eighth grade, noted Alemayehu.
“On the other hand, the Association is contributing for the implementation of the government’s health care packages particularly in family planning and reduction of maternal and child mortality. As a result, it has been benefiting over five million people annually”
There are more than three hundred local and international charities and associations operating in Ethiopia currently.