Name of group: Mesengila Self Help Group
Woreda: Guba
Kebele: Bamza
Village: Jara
Business type: Small scale irrigation
Date of establishment: October, 2012
Project Name: Civil society Support Program  

The group was called Jara women group which is formed by woreda line department in October 2012 before they became self help group. The objective of the Jara women group formation was to make community conversation on HTP and gender issue at their own kebele level, finally at the end of this program MLWDA came to this women group with self help group strengthen program and reestablished the group in 2013, the starting from this time the group is called Mesengila selfhelp group and the group member were 41but now they are 23. MLWDA is supporting this self help women group under civil society support project which is funded by British council through provision of life skill training, BMS and other capacity building trainings, provision of five donkeys to implement donkey assisted farming system. Immediately they have begun their business on small scale irrigation farming at Bamza kebele around Abay River. The Mesengia SHG has its own administration system, rule and regulation, work and business plan. The group is lead by its management committee which is formed and the committee members are elected by group members. The management committee is manage all activity of the SHG, provide work and business plan and approved, collect monthly contribution of 5 birr from each SHG members and present action plan and financial report to general assembly meeting. All group members are actively participating in all farming, harvesting and selling activity. The selling system of this SHG has round which means two women is assigned for first round sell the other two will become next term seller. In beginning of this business until first half year it was hard to precede and manage the farm because blowing by hand and water is fetch from abay river to plant vegetables. Then Woreda Agricultural and Rural development office and Oxfam one of the MLWDA stake older donated Water pumping generator and 5000 ETB to motivate the women group, to some extent the problems are solved.

MLWDA is provided 10 donkeys and gave three days donkey assist farming system training for all group members are. Masengila self help group is the model SHG at Woreda level which is producing a Varity of vegetables like onion, green paper, cabbage, wayika and supplying to the local community for sell. Vegetables are not available except tomato in the area. At present time the community is getting fresh vegetables in their local market place. Onion and other vegetable product are harvested in three month interval and green papare is weekly. The SHG members are direct beneficiary of the product in the first harvesting time they have received half kilo gram of mixed vegetable product as incentive. As a result the food diet of the local community and all SHG members is become good and balanced. In this 18 months time the group is collect 6101 birr of profit from vegetables sells which is planted on ¼ hectare of farm land. Even thought there is no profit dividend, there is loan access up to 500 ETB for ever group member which is repaid in four month. Most of the group member is benefited from the loan opportunity and some of them are started their own business (they borrow money from the group to buy seeds for their own farm) . During dry season the SHG expend 380 ETB per month for fuel and engine oil. The current asset the group is 10 donkey one is died in epidemic disease inversely three of them gave birth currently they have 12 donkey one water pumping generator and 7300 birr of cash money 3000 birr is the lost money which will be paid by group casher. The donkeys are serving the all group members in transporting food, water and wood and make easy their daily life activity.

Conclusion

Mesengila self help group is takeover one hectare farm land from kebele administrative office and start the business of small scale farming with the capital of 410 ETB cash money since 2013 to increase nutrition value, increase income status and decrease work burden of the group member of women . after six hard working month they start produce variety of vegetables in Bamza Kebele of around abaya river for personal conception and sell to local community. Now they are feeding vegetables to themselves and selling in the market. Bananas are the expecting fruit product in September, 2014 for conception and sell. The estimated value of banana product is 2820 birr. Even despite the fact that their management system is poor and have some problem among the group members, the group can handle the all problem through bi-weekly discussion and active participation and contribution in each and every activity in addition to that they agreed to audit the finical capital in three month interval. The future business plan of the group is to expand the farming land and produce more products of vegetables and fruit to cover the demand of Guba woreda, to purchase the big one water pumping motor and using the most improved farming system .