Center for Development and Governance

R E M I N I S C E N C E
𝑶𝒃𝒃𝒐 𝒁𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒚𝒆 𝑨𝒔𝒇𝒂𝒘 𝑨𝒃𝒅𝒊’𝒔 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒖𝒔! 🕊
The CDG revere Obbo Zegeye Asfaw Abdi who passed away leaving all the memories marked in deeds and words to generations. The final farewell took place with procession and picturesque performances at the Trinity Cathedral Church on Thursday May 6, 2026. The magnificent farewell ceremony covered speeches made by dignitaries; tributes of personalities; obituary organized by close friends and family members; and church service in which they praised his priceless contributions to the people of the country.

𝑶𝒃𝒃𝒐 𝒁𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒚𝒆 𝑨𝒔𝒇𝒂𝒘 𝑨𝒃𝒅𝒊 , always placed humanity at the center of his service at his official governmental responsibilities regardless of protocol bound ethical standards. He fulfilled his duties within the set boundaries yet went beyond the limits to serve the public by indulging in issues considered highly sensitive. The major one was about revolutionizing landholding system. He was the mastermind behind the motto “Land to the Tiller” which was a success that moved the vast population of the peasantry countrywide.
On his personal initiative and support of concerned persons, he established and run HUNDEE, a Non-Governmental Organization that successfully functioned with the rural community in changing lives of the needy and in making them aware of their rights to claim it accordingly. HUNDEE executed several projects designed to reach the marginalized and the unreached in far off rural areas.

Obbo Zegeye had been so creative and collaborative in implementing tabled ideas with the grassroots community on mind. Despite his wasted time behind bar for nearly 10 years with whom he shared common cause, his achievements in effecting the land tenure proclamation of 1975 was a landmark to be remembered in successive generations. His accomplishments under HUNDEE were lively acknowledged by community members who benefited from the interventions and functionary HUNDEE staff who learned from his innovative approaches of doing things.

The profound achievements; his charisma in leadership; his humane characters to all who approached him; and determination to ‘walk his talk’ are the identifying traits of Obbo Zegeye which shall live on with all his friends, relatives, workmates, the community and generations in succession.

May his soul rest in peace in eternity! 🕊

🇪🇹 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮 – 🇰🇪 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘆𝗮 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗨𝘀𝗲 🤝🌿

The Center for Development and Governance (CDG) conducted consultative workshop among the cross border communities of Miyo District of Ethiopia and Sololo County of Kenya on May2, 2026 in Miyo Town. The consultative meeting brought together fourteen (14) community representatives and government officials in Miyo-Sololo corridor to discuss Natural Resource Management challenges; identify root causes of the challenges; and seek solutions. From the Kenyan side the chief from Anona, CBRMCs and other key sector leaders and from Ethiopia the District Busa Gonofa and Agriculture office representatives attended the consultative meeting.

The discussion was organized under the Project titled “𝑴𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑴𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕: 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝑩𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒚𝒂𝒍𝒆” funded by Life and Peace Institute (LPI). The discussion was intended to prepare plan for the implementation of objectives of the Project.

Four main points cited in the agenda for discussion were project familiarization; challenges of natural resource management and joint use in the corridor; root causes of the challenges; and possible solution to the challenges. Multiple challenges and their causes were identified during the discussion of which deforestation, pastureland and water management, and transhumance were the major ones.

In the end the participants agreed to have further discussion to reach consensus on the solutions involving a wider community. They were convinced that the issues of natural resource management and sharing didn’t get adequate attention even from the government relevant agencies. Therefore, they proposed the most relevant bodies to participate in upcoming meeting which is expected to prioritize issues and assign responsibilities including establishment of Joint Committee that monitor implementation of planed interventions.

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𝑶𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒂 𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑳𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝑹𝑬𝑪𝑨𝑷 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒀𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐

The launching of Project titled “RECAP” fully stated as ‘Resilient Border: Advancing Climate Adaptation, Peace, Livelihoods, and Preparedness in Cross-border Communities of Ethiopia and Kenya was conducted in Yaballo Town on April 27, 2026. It is a cross border Project that involves the CDG and VSO-Ethiopia on Ethiopian side and HODI and VSO-Kenya on the Kenyan side that are implementation partners. The funding partner is International Partnerships Austria. The implementing partners and relevant government officials gathered for the launching at Nigat Hotel in Yaballo.

Honorable Ambassador Eshetu Dassie, Advisor to the Ministry of Peace and Advisor to CDG Board of Governance, made an opening speech in which he stressed on the importance of such cross-border projects. He said the Project immensely contributes to peace, stability social cohesion and peaceful coexistence of communities of the two countries that lived side by side for generations sharing common culture and ethnic background. He added that such cross-border projects contribute to wise use of resources which would help avert the effects of climate change in pastoral and semi-pastoral cross-border areas of the two countries. The Ambassador appreciated the funding partner, International Partnerships Austria, for giving attention to the cross border issues management and encouraged them to continue soliciting fund to address challenges of unreached cross-border communities.

Prior to the speech by the Ambassador, Dr. Temesgen Tilahun, Country Representative and Project Implementation Lead, VSO Ethiopia, welcomed participants and gave briefs about the RECAP project.

The Project is planned for implementation in Moyale-Moyale and Miyo-Sololo Districts of Ethiopia and Counties of Kenya located across border of the two countries.
Participants of the launching event included Oromia Regional and local level stakeholders. Relevant government sector offices like Bureau of Agriculture, Buusaa Gonofaa (DRR), Zonal Administration Office, Agriculture, Buusaa Gonofaa (DRR), and Peace and Administration were among participants.

In the later part of the program VSO Ethiopia and CDG representatives provided briefing about the project one after the other. In the briefings made by project implementers from the Ethiopian side focused on Project description, Project Objectives, expected results, major activities categorized in clusters of four, Climate Resilience, Climate Adaptation, Peace Building and Social Cohesion, crises preparedness and response and sustainability strategies.
After the briefings, participants of the event gave their own reflections about the project. During the reflection, majority agreed that the project need to be inclusive and participatory. It was stressed that all sector offices of the government need to follow up the implementation; monitor, actively participate and support the project implementation.

𝐎𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚

Six siblings were left alone when their parents were killed by unknown gunmen. All are minors who were continuing education before the attack. Three are junior while the other two are elders of Magartu. Before they left their place of origin due to the attack, they were learning from grade three (3) to grade five (5). Magartu Addunna was fourth (4th) grade student. At the time of the interview Magartu Addunna was working as a shoe shiner while her two elders do day labor.

Magartu Addunna and her sisters and brothers were born in Jabo-dobban locality of Amuru District in Horro Guduru Wallagga Zone. She recalls that her father was killed while taking a patient to the health service and her mother killed in her attempt to trace the whereabouts of her husband. This was the information they got from the people. The children didn’t get the chance to bury their parents.

Magartu Addunna, a smaller girl among the six siblings, who somehow acts as a responsible one told the story behind their displacement. She said there was violence in her locality which forced them flee the area for safety. At the time of the violence they couldn’t even pick their clothing, she said.

Before death and displacement, the family were better off. They earned a living engaged in agriculture and tending the livestock. They were able to support the destitute. Magartu says they left all the resources behind at the time of the attack. The attackers burned down their house; took the livestock. The children left the area dispersed just to save their lives. The children never had the chance to see their parents again.

At the time of the interview, after four years of displacement, the children started schooling again. They buy school materials like notebook, school uniform, food and little other things using what they get from day labor and shoe shining. But Magartu spoke that the little income they got was not sufficient to fully cover their expenses. Nobody knows how much the orphaned children would be resilient to manage their lives on their own would be seen in the time to come.

The major issue is effect of violence on the lives of the community, particularly, the effect on children is extremely damaging. This has been acknowledged for generations. The above story is an example that testifies damaging effect of lack of peace on children.

Orphaned children who ought to get after-shock trauma treatment are left alone. They don’t have any idea about whether they could stand the challenges ahead. The little income they get may not be sustainable on top of its being insufficient for their growth and development. Besides, they don’t have mechanism to air their voice reach helping hands.
📌 https://cdget.org/2026/04/01/orphans-struggle-for-survival-the-story-of-magartu-addunna/
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