The Magariisaa Community Nursery Group

The Magariisaa community nursery group has ten members and has been active for two years. With support from the Bale Eco-system Phase II project, it aims to regrow trees in the surrounding deforested areas.

The group is a sub-group of the Odaa Wedessa participatory forest management cooperative (PFMC) in Odda kebele, Medewelabu woreda of Bale zone in Ethiopia. The PFMC gained its legal recognition in 2013 with 33 founding members and now has 750 members.

It’s from this PFMC that the Magariisaa community nursery group emerged and has been able to demonstrate successes: rehabilitating the environment and enhancing livelihoods. Its contributions to the reforestation effort in its kebele and the surrounding areas have become valuable.

The group, managing 0.25 hectares of land, produces seedlings of coffee and woodlots including eucalyptus trees, grevilia, juniper trees, fruit trees, moringa and others.

In two rounds within the last two years, the group has produced and sold 56,720 seedlings of coffee and 16,600 woodlot seedlings. These were traded to group and individual farmers in Odda and other kebeles, particularly Meda, Hara-Haji and Danisa Kerkero.

Demand for products has increased the group’s profit. Members are looking to diversify their businesses to include cattle farming, beekeeping and grain trading.

Community Development Facilitator for the project Abdulkerim Hussien commented: “In my professional service as a forestry expert, I have never seen such a successful community nursery site. They are determined! Regardless of any supervision, they are there day and night taking care of the nurseries. Their sense of responsibility is high.”

Farm Africa, with financial support from the EU, backs the group by providing seeds, nursery tools, training and market value chains.

Learn more about the Bale Eco-region Phase II project here.