Back in 2003 the government of Ethiopia began a re-settlement program throughout the country. They voluntarily moved approximately 2 million people (in a country of about 80 million) from areas of environmental degradation, poor agriculture productivity, dense populations, and underdevelopment. The areas selected for re-settlement were typically within the same regional state, the same people-group and language, were areas of sparse population density, and areas were there is still agricultural development potential.

Map indicating the general re-settlement track for those re-settled in Sasiga

The Sasiga area was at one time a bread-basket of Ethiopia. The communist regime of the late seventies to the early eighties used the area as a rich agricultural producing region. Prior to the communist governments work there the area was unpopulated. The pre-2003 population consisted of state-farm workers, their families and now their offspring (the “hosting” population is how we now refer to them).

Old farm machinery left after the state-farms discontinued operation (the communist regime was removed and replaced by the current government)

In the Sasiga area there were approximately 30,000 re-settlers moved in. The interesting thing about these settlers is that they are from within the same regional state and language-group, but are culturally very different. The existing population is generally culturally Christian, whereas the re-settlers are culturally Muslim. It was an initial worry that the two groups would not get along, and in the beginning they didn’t. Soon after, however, they began to work together. Their children attend the same schools, the local government officials are from both communities, and their business interactions, mostly at the bi-weekly markets, are regular.

A re-settled village during the rainy season

It has been encouraging for me to see the two groups work along side one-another. Their belief-systems are different, but they recognize that it is better to work together. FH is a Christian motivated and centered organization and, as such, endeavors to work with all the needs and potentials within each community. We seek to see people as God sees them. Our vision is for Christ’s love to flow from our staff and into our work and partners.

A re-settled mother and child