The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission

By Gebreselassie Atsbahha
Gebreselassie Atsbahha is Emergency Relief Officer with the EOCDICAC. He has over 20 years of experience in humanitarian, social protection and development works, both in governmental and non-governmental organisations in various parts of the country. His has a MSc in Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection.
The author would like to acknowledge Alive and Thrive, Ethiopia for the efforts it is making to alleviate malnutrition and the problems associated in Ethiopia. The leadership quality of Dr Teweldebirhan Hailu, senior country director of the organisation, as well as the harmony and commitment of the staff is really appreciated.
The Ethiopia Orthodox Church (EOC) is one of the oldest churches in the world. The church is also the largest denomination in Ethiopia with more than 40 million followers, which is approximately 40- 50% of the total population. One can observe the impacts of EOC in almost all aspects of the country's history and present image and the EOC continues to play an important role in the social, economic, cultural, educational and political life of the country.
EOC-DICAC objectives
In order to respond to both the emergency and longer term needs of the population, the church established a development wing in 1972, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC). The EOC-DICAC is one of a few active ecumenical development organisations in the country. It is engaged primarily with the objective "to help disadvantaged communities attain self reliance by tackling the root causes of poverty, drought, conflict and HIV/AIDS by promoting a sustainable development programmes". The EOC-DICAC works within the regulations and laws governing nongovernmental organisations (NGOs). The Vision of EOC-DICAC is to help create a just society in which everyone has access to the basic necessities of life.

An EOC-DICAC team surveying a mosquito breeding sites in Amhara region, Guangua district
EOC-DICAC activities
To achieve its objective, EOC-DICAC is involved in the following major areas of activity:
- Providing emergency and humanitarian assistance
- Implementing rural development programmes
- Building local capacities to implement project activities for poverty reduction
- Assisting vulnerable groups such as refugees, returnees and displaced people
- Supporting the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and related nutrition needs
- Training/education to ensure equity and promote optimal use of natural resources.
Since its establishment, the EOC-DICAC has implemented many relief and development projects. By mid-2010, the EOC-DICAC was implementing more than thirty projects in different parts of the country covering integrated rural development, water supply and sanitation, relief and rehabilitation, HIV/AIDS prevention and control projects and refugee and returnee programmes.
The EOC-DICAC has more than 20 US and European based partners and has an annual budget of around US $ 30 million. The main donors include (but are not limited to) UNHCR, EU,UNICEF, UNDP, Christian Aid, Dan Church Aid, ACT-Forum, Water Aid, Intermon-Oxfam, USAID and World Vision. The EOC-DICAC also works closely with other Church based and Church affiliated organisations.
Emergency response
During periods of drought, internal conflict and other emergency situations, the EOC-DICAC supports the responses arising from the government's national emergency appeals. The EOC-DICAC has the capacity to be involved in life saving interventions through the provision of food aid, farm tools, seeds, small animals/ruminants, supply of water and other basic life saving inputs. Priority is given to supplementary feeding of children and the provision of a monthly take home ration (typically 4.5kg per month) to other vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and the sick.
EOC-DICAC also supports environmental rehabilitation activities in some areas, such as area closures, soil and water conservation structures, seedling production and distribution. Apart from this, the commission has tried to expedite crop production, livestock development activities and introduce vegetables and fruit trees. By so doing, these activities aim to have a role in improving the nutritional status of children and improve dietary diversity of the target families.
In coordination with District Health Officers, orientation and awareness creation on HIV transmission, protection mechanisms and the use of voluntary counselling and HIV testing is also a key activity. Pilot projects on HIV/AIDS orphan care at parish churches have also shown promising success.
To date, EOC-DICAC has made great strides in its service to the disadvantaged populations of Ethiopian society and its programmes have strengthened communities to better sustain themselves during periods of extreme hardship. EOC-DICAC has succeeded in community mobilisation to fight against the root causes of poverty, HIV/AIDS pandemic and environmental degradation. The organisation has also built schools and health posts to create access for education opportunities and health services for thousands of rural family members in the country.
The water supply scheme construction projects create opportunities for millions of Ethiopian people to get potable water, reduce the workload of women and children, minimise the prevalence of water borne diseases and increased awareness of hygiene and sanitation. Rural roads constructed by EOC-DICAC have also contributed to the mobility of rural communities and increased their accessibility to the nearest towns and markets.
Working with women
EOC-DICAC is very concerned about women's participation in development and makes sure that the following issues are addressed right from the project design up to the phase-out of projects:
- Encourages women to participate at all levels of the project cycle and ensures gender sensitivity.
- Ensures that interventions consider women in equal status with men.
- Built partnership and strategic alliance with local government and civil society organisations (CSOs) to promote gender mainstreaming in development projects at all levels.
- Advocates against violence in terms of person trafficking, as well as female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices.
- Intervene in women capacity building so as to enable them acquire technical skills.
- Promotes equal opportunities for women and men in recruitment, staff development and promotion.
The basis for the emergency and development initiatives of EOC-DICAC is the fundamental doctrine of the Church/Bible "Everyone who has gives to those in need". The initiation of the whole effort put by the Church so far has emerged from its doctrine or internal spiritual belief that urges everyone to help those who are relatively poor in the society.
For further information, contact: Gebreselassie Atsbahha, P.O BOX: 503, Ethiopia. tel: + 251 911 687909 Fax +251 111 551455, email: gats2005@gmail.com
More like this
FEX: From the editor
Ethiopia is a diverse country where a significant proportion of the population live on or below the poverty line, where food insecurity is widespread and rates of acute...
FEX: Profile and overview of the church’s role in emergency response
By Deed Jaldessa and Debela Kenea Deed Jaldessa has over two decades experience in development work in rural Ethiopia and currently leads The Ethiopian Evangelical Church...
FEX: Joint Emergency Operation Plan NGO response to emergency food needs in Ethiopia
By Alix Carter Alix Carter has worked in the humanitarian sector in Ethiopia for almost three years. She is currently working as the Humanitarian Accountability Advisor at...
FEX: Lutheran Development Services
By Marie McGrath, ENN Name Lutheran Development Services (LDS) Formed 1994 Address P. O. Box 388, Mbabane, Swaziland Director Bjorn Brandberg Telephone +268 404-5262...
FEX: Rapid response and long-term solutions: Christian Aid and food security in Ethiopia
By Antoinette Powell Antoinette Powell is the Communications and Information Officer, Africa with Christian Aid since 2007. Previously she worked as Advocacy Officer, The...
FEX: CAFOD
Name CAFOD Internet http://www.cafod.org.uk Address Romero Close, Stockwell Rd, London, SW9 9TY Director Julian Filochowski Telephone +44 207 733 7900 Overseas staff approx...
FEX: References for Special Supplement 1
Women selling food in South Sudan AbuSaleh A, 1993. Cost effectiveness of feeding programs in Hartisheik A camp, for Somali refugees, Ethiopia 1988-1989. Unpublished report...
FEX: Market-led Livelihood Recovery and Enhancement Programme and integrating ENAs
By Andrew Simons, Daniel Gebeyehu, Getachew Gemtesa and Markos Kidane Andrew Simons is the National Programme Director for Food for the Hungry (FH) Ethiopia. He holds an...
FEX: Emmanuel International
By Andrew Mellen, Emmanuel International Andrew Mellen has been the relief programme manager with EI Malawi since 2003. With a background in agriculture, he previously worked...
FEX: Support for PLWHAs in Malawi
By Mary Corbett Mary Corbett is a food security and nutrition consultant who visited the region on behalf of ENN in early 2005. This article is based on interviews with a...
FEX: An overview of REST’s implementation of the Productive Safety Net Programme
By The Relief Society of Tigray (REST) Mekelle Team The Relief Society of Tigray (REST) has been in existence in Ethiopia for over 30 years, starting out as a relatively small...
FEX: EHNRI - Profile and role in the National Nutrition Programme
Name: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI) Address: Gulelle Arbegnoch Street (the former Pasteur Institute) Gulele Sub City P.O.B. 5456, Addis Ababa,...
en-net: FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY BASED NGO
Holystic Nutrition Org, is a community based NGO located in Obuasi, Ghana. The organization is currently running a project: SMALCHILD Project. Save the MALnourished CHILD...
FEX: Foreword
View of the audience of a drama held during a Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) pay day session in Tigray-Hintalo Wajirat, Ethiopia Over twenty five years on from the...
FEX: Evolution of GOAL Activities in Malawi
By Andy Nicholson Andy Nicholson is currently Country Director of GOAL in Malawi. He has been in Africa since 1990 working mainly in emergencies in Sierra Leone, Liberia,...
FEX: Issue 29 Editorial
There are two major themes running through this issue of Field Exchange. The first is a focus on Southern Africa and the programmatic challenges presented by HIV/AIDS and the...
FEX: Sexual exploitation and food distribution in Burundi
Summary of published research1 CARE International has been a key partner of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Burundi since the outbreak of the civil war in 1993,...
en-net: Consultant for Concern Worldwide CMAM Programme in Ethiopia
Terms of Reference Evaluation of Concern Ethiopia's National CMAM programme (4 Regions) including the Bale (5 Woreda) emergency project implemented for the period...
FEX: Issue 19 Editorial
This issue of Field Exchange is dedicated to Prof. John Kevany (ENN Director) who died on 20th April 2003. John was instrumental in establishing the ENN. Given John's...
FEX: Community Based Technology to Combat HIV/AIDS
A new study on community based technology change to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa is underway, funded by the MacArthur Foundation. This project is being led by staff at Tulane...
Reference this page
Gebreselassie Atsbahha (). The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission. Field Exchange 40, February 2011. p74. www.ennonline.net/fex/40/ethiopian
(ENN_4090)