Ethiopia - VS upscaling for soil and water conservation continues. A Baby Boy Named “Vetimar”

News from the Ethiopian Vetiver Network (ETVN)  -  A Baby Boy Named “Vetimar”

About three months ago a newly married couple namely Mr. Abebe Ayalew and Mrs. Meseret Worku were expecting their first baby in Sekota town, capital of Waghimra Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. Sekota town is located at about 720 km north-west of Addis Ababa via Korem.

Mr. Abebe Ayalew was on experience sharing visit to South-West Ethiopia i.e. East Wellega, Illuababor and Jimma Zones, to see the applications of the vetiver system and scale out/up vetiver grass in Waghimra Zone. While he was on a field visit he got a call and was told very good news that his wife, Meseret, safely delivered a baby boy. He immediately shared the news to his colleagues who were with him on the tour and announced that his baby boy be named “Vetimar”. “Veti” stands for vetiver and “mar’ means honey in Amharic.

Currently Mr. Abebe is the Chief Administration and Head of Agriculture and Rural Development Office of Sekota Wereda/District in Waghimra Zone. The writer visited Abebe, Meseret and Vetimar on the 23rd of August 2010 in Sekota town and they are doing fine. A team from Sustainable Land Use Forum (SLUF) have also witnessed that Abebe has established a vetiver nursery. He has even planted vetiver grass on farmlands by mobilizing farmers using planting material that Africa Children Aid Association (ACAA), SLUF’s partner, bought from Mr. Getachew Wolde in Weldia, North Wello Zone.

We hope Abebe continues scaling out/up the vetiver system applications and Vetimar would follow his father’s footsteps in 20 or more years to come with a better exposure and knowledge.

By the way, the name “Vetimar” was initially coined by Mr. Mulualem Berhane, a farmer in Dembecha Wereda of West Gojam Zone and member of the Ethiopian Vetiver Network (ETVN).

By Debela Dinka (SLUF)


VS use is accelerating fast in Ethiopia for Soil and Water Conservation and more latelt for road stabilization.  There is serious focus on the technology by Ethiopian agencies - well done.


Dick