Establishment Enhanced Rural self Help Association (ERSHA) is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), registered under the Ministry of Justice of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in October 1997 and became operational in January 1998. The organization is re-registered in December 2009 as Ethiopian Residents Charities Association in accordance with the New CSO Proclamation 621/2009. The organization was founded by a group of concerned professionals who had a great concern on the plight of the rural poor to join hands with concurring actors to contribute their part for the development of the country.
Vision
ERSHA wishes to see a poverty free Ethiopia where women and men equally enjoy a dignified life.
Mission
ERSHA aims to work with poor rural communities (men and women) to expand livelihood alternatives of the rural poor through supporting community based initiatives and building grassroots capacity.
Values/Principles
(Gender sensitivity:) is viewed as a means for attaining sustainable development and an end in attaining women empowerment.
(People Centeredness:) ERSHA believes that development intervention should put people and humanity at the forefront. In this regard, it highly gives due regard to inclusiveness in its program operations. It also highly values local and indigenous knowledge, value systems and local capacities to bring development.
(Collective action:) ERSHA believes that adopting democratic principles in decision making is very important and thus it will encourage collective decision making system in its operations both at organization and community levels
(Sustainability:) guides ERSHA’s work both as value and principle. It understands sustainability as economic, ecological and social harmony that balances immediate development demand of the poor community with the long-term development need.
(Interdependence:) ERSHA venerate and facilitate inter and intra communities, groups and between rural people and all development actors (Public, Private and CSO/NGO) at all levels for mutual interdependence where one-sided dependency is lesson-ed and vulnerability minimized to the lowest possible level.
(Partnership and mutuality:) emanated its recognition for diversity, synergy and interconnections among actors and factors as well as its belief in working as one whole –single system.
(Integrity:) ERSHA strives to be honest and transparent in what it does and say and accepts responsibility for its action and idea it forwards. It appreciated and respects the ideas, values, aspirations, vision and mission of the community it serves and stakeholders in its work and communications
(Excellence:) ERSHA constantly challenges itself to the highest levels of learning and performance to achieve greater impact and performance. It continually updates its system, skill, professional competencies and efficiency and also network with international
and local organizations and associations engaged in similar works to acquire and equip itself with the latest and state of the art technical models, approaches and methods in
every sector it works.
Program Objectives
• To increase the household food security status of the target communities with the aim of enhancing their resilience to shocks and stress;
• To create capable, competent and responsible communities and grassroots
organizations that can take local development issues forward;
• To reduce the effects of climate change on communities livelihoods through promoting improved and sustainable natural resources management practices and enhancing the awareness of the communities on climate change and its impact on the lives and livelihoods of the local people;
• To improve communities access to basic social services.
Coverage Currently, ERSHA is running six integrated rural development programs in seven woreda of Amhara, Oromiya and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS).
Funding Partners
The major funding partners/donors are, ActionAid Ethiopia, ICCO and a German Funding Agency called Kinder Not Hilfe (KNH). ERSHA is also getting small funds from different agencies to implement short term projects.
Thematic Areas
• Food Security
• Social Service (water, education health and HIV/AIDS)
• Women, children and Youth Socio Economic Development
• Institutional capacity building
Target Groups
ERSHA’s development interventions target the rural poor households with especial emphasis to women, children and youths.
Budget Utilized and Beneficiaries Reached Through its life ERSHA utilized about 150,000,000 birr which improved livelihood of above 90,000 households.
