Message from Kollela model village site Coordinator
Dear Bahir-Dar university website users. Kollela Model village is one of the university sites that serves outreach program of community service and transfer of technologies. Bahir-Dar University has a motto Kollela model village become the first model village in agriculture and industry innovation in Ethiopia. Villagers have a quality of life as high as the one of agro-industrial model village in the world. It would be an extra ordinary village in transforming of the current agriculture practices to one of best utilization of agricultural innovation and then to modern agriculture practices. It also serves as model of agricultural economic enterprise system to small scale industry and entrepreneurship development in the rural site. Thus Bahir-Dar University extends its call for all concerned development stakeholders to have their own contribution for this fruit full process and event. This over all enables to empower local dwellers; they are capable of community transformation basics in agriculture and from agriculture to industry in their own village and scale up its’ experience in other part of the region and country level
Kollela model Village Back Ground information
Relative location of Kollela village is 40 Kilometer south west of Bahirdar (capital of Amhara National Regional State) and 520 kilometer north of Addis Ababa. The village comprises a total population of 4272 of which 2024 are males and 2248 are females. In the village, 852 households are found, from this 736 are male headed and 116 are female headed. The farming system of Kollela is characterized by growing annual crops with some perennial crops. Currently, eucalyptus tree becomes the dominant perennial cash crop and fuel consumption and house construction. The share of each farming practices and other activities are distributed as described below. It has a total land area of 1849.75 hectare. From this annual crop covers 1126 hectare; grazing land 274.75 hectare; man-made forest 386.5 hectare (dominantly eucalyptus with some gravelly Robusta); natural forest 25 hectare (with much diversity in species); housing and other construction 37.5 hectare. The main annual crops growing in this area are Maize, Teff, Millet, Wheat and some Barely. Some of the perennial crops which are produced in this area in addition to Eucalyptus are; Banana, Coffee, Avocado and Mango. The village has 6767 cattle population, 1653 sheep, 672 mule, 216 donkey and 3119 chicken which is equal to 12427 livestock population
Even if the area has many opportunities and potential for the improvement of agriculture through proper promotion and adoption of various agricultural innovations, still it is characterized by the traditional way of agricultural practices. In this specific site the government built Koga irrigation dam to boost agricultural production. For this reason currently the farmers exercised this modern irrigation through several advocacy and teaching practices. After exerting a lot of efforts to bring about behavioral change, at movement irrigation practices have been adopted. In this adoption, 425 and 165 hectares of land are irrigated through modern and traditional way of irrigation practices respectively; even if it still lacks proper management system. Therefore some agricultural innovations (irrigation, improved seed utilization, degraded land rehabilitation, compost utilization) are on the way of being implemented and in progress. But the implementation has been achieved through the great effort of the development stakeholders with more emphasis on area coverage. Thus it is time to think about quality and integrated agriculture for better transformation within the agricultural sector and transformation from agriculture to small scale industry and entrepreneurship development. Bahir-Dar University tries to achieve these ends with the cooperation of other development stake holders by using model village formation approach.
Focus area
The model village focuses on achieving social change and transformation by using different innovations in socio-cultural aspects (culture, norm, attitude, knowledge, behavior) through participatory education and health approach. It gives emphasis in economic transformation in the course of different agricultural innovations (plant, animal (health& husbandry), and integrated natural resource management) through Multi functional paradigm and participatory agricultural extension approach with emphasis of AKAP (Awareness- Knowledge-Adoption-Product). It aims at empowering human capital and farmers’ attitude towards innovation and transformation. For infrastructure transformation, it tries to implement rural infrastructure innovation (solar energy, biogas, improved stove, water supply, road, improved housing) through material, finance and technical support. Finally the village comes to reality in different small scale and rural cottage industry innovations; entrepreneur ship development, market linkage and employment generation in the rural area (saving and credit groups, agro-processing group, lumbering groups, metal welding groups, market and value chain formation for each enterprise) by using different capacity building process
Recent Activities
Some of the activities that have been practiced in Kollela Model Village are listed below. Bahi-Dar University has started the innovation process by installing solar power energy for the village. It enables to provide clean water supply for Kollela village school and surrounding communities. The main activities undergone in the area of agriculture are afforestation of the degraded lands and area closure for its rehabilitation; improved animal forage development, improved poultry production, improved apiculture practices, improved horticulture practices(banana , mango and avocado) plantation. In supporting education sector, the University has also supported different capacity building activities for Kollela Andenet School. Kollela Andenet School becomes one of the centers of transformation process by having a model house and supply clean water through solar energy source. In addition to ths,at the movement, Bahir-Dar University gives free scholar ship for three first degree teachers, who teach in Kollela Andenet School to have second degree in their specialization. Moreover, our university is prepared and in the process for other material support for this school. The university tries to promote bio-fuel energy source by demonstrating 16 biogases for the village dwellers. Now more number of villagers becomes the user of this technology with close follow up and support of district water and energy office.
The model village establishment activity is on the process and at its infantile stage. It is expected to work more to realize the model village. For this reason the university establishes a multidisciplinary team from different faculties (agriculture, social science, health science and engineering) to make thorough study. The responsibility of this team is to investigate the current status of the village from different perspectives and develop the strategic plan by participating different stake holders. The study is expected to answer the current socio-economic status and at what level the village will achieve the desired change for the coming five years and how this process can be achieved.
