Protecting forests, safeguarding livelihoods
Solomon Shiferaw heads the Development and Social Services Commission of the Mekane Yesus Church in Ethiopia – comparable to the Diakonie in Germany, with development cooperation being a key aspect of its work.
One of the many areas of work is afforestation. During a visit to the Misselhorn Heath, he spoke with Gabriele De Bona, the ELM’s officer for ecumenical cooperation in Ethiopia, and Christian Maaß, who is responsible for the sustainable development of the ELM’s forest holdings.
When forest conservation generates income
As head of the Development and Social Services Commission (DASSC), the diaconal ministry of the Mekane Yesus Church in Ethiopia, Solomon is responsible for a wide range of social and public-interest projects. Reforestation is one of them. This project exemplifies just how closely environmental protection and people’s livelihoods are linked.
In one of the projects, women’s groups protect forest areas whilst also setting up beehives amongst the trees. Through honey production, they generate their own income. In this way, forest conservation is combined with economic self-reliance.
Solomon says of the women forest protectors:
“Protecting forests is very important to adress climate change. (...) They take care of the trees, and they also hang beehives in the forest and produce honey. So economically, they support themselves.”
Experiences from Ethiopia and Germany
Gabriele De Bona and Christian Maaß explored these and other aspects of Solomon Shiferaw’s work together with Solomon Shiferaw during a visit to the Misselhorner Heide. They were accompanied by Hermann Kruse, a German who has been living in Ethiopia for decades. He worked there for the ELM and was involved, amongst other things, in afforestation projects.
On site, the focus was on transforming a monotonous pine stand into a species-rich, climate-resilient mixed forest. Through natural regeneration and supplementary planting, the aim is primarily to encourage the growth of oaks and beech trees. The young trees are protected from browsing by wildlife.
Solomon Shiferaw reports that trees in Ethiopia often grow faster under the local climatic conditions. At the same time, he is well aware of the challenges involved in protecting young trees and ensuring their long-term survival. He would also like to see greater diversity in German forests.
The exchange demonstrates that sustainable forest conservation requires long-term thinking and solutions that benefit both nature and people in equal measure. The experiences of both countries offer different perspectives on this.
During his 14-day visit, Solomon Shiferaw visited, amongst other places, various diaconal institutions in Hanover and Gifhorn, the International Academy for Ecumenism in Hamburg and the Horn of Africa Advisory Committee. He brought back to Germany his latest insights from his work in Ethiopia. Gabriele De Bona (ELM) and Tobias Schäfer-Sell (ELM) accompanied Solomon Shiferaw on his trip. The ELM maintains an ongoing dialogue with the DASSC and the Ethiopian Mekane Yesus Church.
