Although the conference is over, MRDF's work in Ethiopia continues.  And the only way is up.  At least that's the case for Sam and I, who have just spent the last 4 days visiting MRDF partner SUNARMA far up in the Ethiopian highlands.  The scenery is breathtaking, literally due to high altitude of 2800m and more, and metaphorically because of the beauty of the hillsides, fields and forests.  Nothing could be further from my stereotypical expectations of Ethiopia, instead of parched land, it is cold, green and windswept here with farmers wrapped up in blankets driving their goats and donkeys along steep hillside paths.

SUNARMA's mission is to preserve the ancient Wof-Washa forest and at the same time improve the livelihoods of the people who live around it.  They do this by training youth groups in tree planting and by reclaiming scraps of useless, degraded land on which they can plant apple trees, eucalyptus and native trees.  These can then be harvested for fruit, fuel or fodder, providing income to the group members so that they can support themselves without plundering the forest. 

This was my first time in this area, but Sam has visited twice before: in 2003 before the project started and at the beginning of 2006.  "Everything has grown!" she said as we visited plantations and met with young people.  It's not only the trees that have grown, but also the number of groups involved and the organisation itself.  MRDF's initial support has given other donors confidence in SUNARMA, so that the organisation has now been able to expand its work and its staff team.  Although this is a world away from the conference workshops in Addis Abeba, it's another example of how MRDF can help our partners move from strength to strength!