Agriculture and Natural Resources Management
Agriculture and Natural Resources Management
Agriculture is still the backbone of the Ethiopian economy that supports about 80% of the total employment, constitutes 43% of the national GDP and is a source of 90% of the export. Cognizant of this fact, Hawassa University has a long history of supporting this sector for the last four decades through training, research, technological innovations and community services. Agriculture and natural resources management has been one of the core activities of community service undertakings of the University.
Free Legal Aid Service
Free Legal Aid Service
Free legal aid service is one of the areas where Hawassa University has been working. It focuses on providing free legal support for vulnerable segments of the surrounding community. Hawassa University Free Legal Aid Center operates under the College of Law & Governance, School of Law. The Center was established 2011 with aim of supporting those groups who suffer from different forms of discrimination based on their wealth, gender, health, social status, and age. Specifically, poor, women, children, prisoners, people living with HIV/AIDS, persons with disability and the elderly are the target beneficiaries of the free legal aid service.
Agriculture and natural resources
The following are some of the community outreach programs in agriculture and natural resources management.
Improved avocado
Improved avocado verities distributed to farmers in Hawassa City Administration. Vegetable and fruit production and marketing support.
Promotion and pre-scaling
Promotion and pre-scaling up of variety food barley, malt barley and wheat in highland woredas of Sidama Regional state.
Livestock production
Improved wheat verity in introduced by HwU in highland woredas of Sidama Regional State. Introduction & demonstration of improved poultry production and management, Introduction & dissemination of improved feed (Desho grass) for farmers. Community-based sheep breed improvement by (Bonga RamXLocal sheep).
Improved bean varieties
Improved bean varieties introduced by HwU in low land woredas of Sidama Regional State. Introduction & demonstration of family-based fish production through family pond. Capacity building training for development agents, experts, farmers and youths on small ruminant production, poultry production, feed development and treatment, Dairy cows production and management.
Natural resources management
Rehabilitation of degraded landscape in Borich woreda of Sidama Regional State Community-based participatory integrated watershed management (PIWM) intervention and capacity building on urban green infrastructures (UGI) Implementation of Eco-hydrology principles to treatment waste effluent of wet coffee processing plant to manage river water quality (Gidabo watershed, Dale woreda, Regional state)
Education and training
Education and training is another area where Hawassa University has been supporting the community in technology village woredas. Most of the activities in this category focus on capacity building training for school teachers, directors, and unit leaders as well as providing different material support for model schools in technology village woredas. The specific areas of training encompass basic computer skill training, active learning, and training on STEM Center.
- Capacity building training for school teachers in English and Sidamu Afoo languages
- Capacity building training for school teachers on Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- Training for adult literacy facilitators, the Office experts, Health Extension Workers and development agents
- Training on basics of inclusive education, guidance and counseling services for school counselors, school directors & unit leaders
Health and Nutrition
Hawassa University provides different health services in its Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Hawassa City under the college of Medicine and Health Sciences. Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialize Hospital (HUCSH), provides high quality service at both outpatient and inpatient level for about 20 million populations of the southern Ethiopia. The hospital also trains undergraduate and postgraduate medical and Health Science students. In addition to these services, the University through its Community Service Directorate also works on community health and nutrition issues.
Some of the core activities in this category includes:
Nutrition education to improve nutritional knowledge, practice, belief and dietary diversity of mothers during the first 1000 days in University Technology village woredas of Sidama Regional State.
Awareness creation on non-communicable disease and facilitating linkage with health institutions in University Technology village woredas of Sidama Regional State.
Intervention of Tungiasis among affected communities through locally developed technologies in University Technology village woredas of Sidama Regional State.
Promotion of nutrition-sensitive agriculture (quality-protein maize, vegetable) in University Technology village woredas of Sidama Regional State.
Training on life skill, childcare & parenting skill, personal and environmental hygiene for parents in University Technology village woredas of Sidama Regional State.