Picture
ROBA Field Notes:
​Celebrations - A community brought together by Trees
​Hussein Watta, Executive Director,  Rural Organization for Betterment of Agro-Pastoralists (ROBA), Ethiopia writes about the 'Trees for Life' project, an activity to plant trees through an artful arrangement for aerial and satellite viewing, has been celebrated and received by the local Oromo community.  (November 3, 2021) 
November 1 - Tree celebrations at Kofele District school 

The final outcome is far beyond our expectations. We have now achieved planting our living artworks or earth observation climate artworks. We are so proud of what has been achieved. Gofingira Gurmicho "Tree Circle" living artwork was planted on October 26 and ROBA School "Lion living art" planted on October 28, 2021. 

A Tree Planting Day celebration was launched at ROBA school on November 1 with a public gathering of over 1000 people. These included elders, women, school boards, school teachers. It was very heart-warming and motivating. The speakers included elders, women, young boys and girls. We spoke about climate change, art, and the use of trees.
A lot has happened during the event, it was well beyond what we thought could even be possible. School children sang songs, read poems, our tribal chief council women (Hadha Sinqe) danced in full regalia. 
Picture
​​Elders spoke about the relationship between trees, animals and human. One elder spoke of how the Ethiopian lion is part of an Oromo clan and that clan has the responsibility to protect it.

We must use all our clan powers to help Nature. Elders also mentioned that each indigenous tree in our areas are named after Oromo Clans. This will call for future study.  Elders offered wisdom that we did not know.
Picture
The Hadha Singe offered words of wisdom for the crowds to reflect upon in terms of overcoming modern world conflicts and living better with Nature. We all learned a lot from the day about trees, animals and culture.
Picture
All images provided courtesty of ROBA and videographer: Gelata Aman (2021)
We do have still a lot of trees in the nursery and they will be distributed if the rain continues or in February during the short rains. The rainy seasons are changed due to climate change. At this moment it is still raining when it was supposed to be stopped as of October 1st. It is making it more difficult to know when to cultivate the land. Plants need to go into the ground at optimal times - not when there are ongoing threats of drought or torrential rains and flooding. We have had summers of 40'C + and excessive rains that created mud swells, submerging and killing plants.

I thank you all for your support. It is an incredible journey we have all embarked on together. ​​" Trees for Life " is more than a project, it is now a way of life that is part of our hearts and minds. ~ Hussein Watta
About Hussein Watta
Hussein Watta has more than 20 years of experience with humanitarian aid relief, rehabilitation, and rural development projects in Africa with experience in Ethiopia, Namibia, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Sudan. Hussein has been the Executive Director of ROBA for the last decade. He has participated in the final evaluations of both the World Vision (Ethiopia program) and Afar Area Development Program and South Wollo Emergency and Rehabilitation Program, ZOA Refugee Care (Ethiopia program). He is an Ethiopian born citizen with a Masters in Horticultural Studies and is fluent in Afan Oromo, Amharic, English and Swahili languages. 
 
About Rural Organization for the Betterment of Agropastoralists (ROBA) | Ethiopia
​ROBA was established as a non-profit in 1999 by Kofele elders and community stakeholders. The organization's mandate is to respond to the challenges and root causes of poverty, and expand services to rural communities in order to reduce inequalities and improve the lives of women, children and youth, particularly in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Key organizational areas of specialised delivery include (1) poverty reduction through economic empowerment in agricultural and natural resource management, (2) creation of education and literacy programs (3) promotion of climate adaptation learning to (4) gender/women's rights, and (5) development of emergency response programs to natural and/or health disasters.  

ROBA's successes since its establishment have included building 24 education centres,  2 medical health clinics, creating a network of over 60 km of road systems to connect remote communities together, establishing 85 trade co-operatives, and supporting the establishment and operation of a network of specialized independent credit unions to serve the banking needs of agropastoralists.
RESOURCES

Rural Organization for the Betterment of Agropastoralists (ROBA) Ethiopia  
www.robaethiopia.org
​
To learn more about agropastoralists the following article in the World Environmental Library gives an overview to this specialized farming system.  
Who’s behind the project?
Picture

​Trees for Life project has been supported by the British Council’s Creative Commissions 2021 programme.
This was a series of creative commissions exploring climate change through art, science and digital technology for presentation at COP26.
Trees for Life continues (2021 - present) as an active artists-community collaboration and illustrates that land rehabilitation doesn’t need to be expensive. We understand the benefit of trees to the land and that people can assist in creating better soils and future-proofing sites from climate issues by planting trees.

Trees for Life also highlights that sustainability is dependent on the motivation and generosity of citizens, communities, artists, and scientists working together to redefine the challenges of climate change and to foster the next generation with the idea that we can make an impact through climate art and other creative approaches.

Tree Circles and Trees for Life project are co-led by climate design and media artists, Sylvia Grace Borda (Canada) and J.Keith Donnelly (UK) together with partners Ethiopia (ROBA – Rural Organisation for the Betterment of Agro-Pastoralists ) in the UK (Dundee UNESCO City of Design, Dundee City Council, Scotland),  and Canada (Institute for Sustainable Horticulture, Kwantlen Polytechnic University) to creatively respond to global issues of climate change.  ​