Tigray-Ethiopia - IMAWESA

TIGRAY Region In-Field Training & Mentoring Learning Workshop, June 2013Mostly, this approach does not motivate farmers to openly discuss on their issues orchallenges of their development.Recently we have started proper community facilitation activities to extract thepotential problems and solutions of WUA development through the help of effectivefacilitation skills we have acquired it from IMAWESA.Now, there are some indications of changes on attitude and practical actions as theresult of improved community facilitation.Therefore, we hope that breakthrough progress may come to sight in the near future.Accordingly, in the last few months we have conducted WUA workshops at scheme level indifferent IFAD supported schemes. The workshops aimed at: Developing clear understanding on the concept and role of WUAs, which arecharacterized by high responsibility and sense of ownership with active role; Preparation of operation and maintenance plans; Establishing water regulations within the command area; Maintaining records and managing conflict resolution; Proposing changes in schemes during planning and construction; Preparing and executing irrigation management plans, etc.; Workshops have been conducted in participatory extension approach in which therole of the external is only facilitation; This approach is important to be able WUAs to deal with self-motivated challengesand solutions in development in a self-reliant way.WUA workshops facilitated in the project areasAccording to the action plan, the WUA workshops were facilitated: to strengthen the community sense of ownership of irrigation schemes, and to enhance farmers’ contribution towards WUA development. Therefore, in the past few months we have been arranging and facilitating WUAworkshops at scheme-level based on challenges stated on the action plan.Main themes of the workshops lack of common understanding shared vision, non-effective by-laws, poor sense of ownership, lack of reliable and equitable irrigation water supply, inadequate WUA financial resources, functionally weak WUA committees, exclusiveness of WUA committees, unsatisfactory stockholder involvement and poor agronomic practices and marketlinkage etc.13 | P a g e