Biftu Beri: The Rising Morning Sun for Climate-Vulnerable Women from Kumbi Kebele

The Biftu Beri women’s village savings and loan association (VSLA) in Kumbi Kebele, Ethiopia, integrates forest conservation with economic empowerment to address climate-induced droughts and shrinking water sources. Led by Momina Adam and supported by Farm Africa, the group employs agroforestry, indigenous tree planting, and a weekly savings scheme to build climate resilience and improve household livelihoods.

• Climate change in Kumbi Kebele, located in the Bale zone of the Oromia Regional National state, has led to the drying of small rivers and the shrinking of larger ones, resulting in recurrent prolonged droughts and extreme weather that disrupt farming and livelihoods.
• The Biftu Beri women’s village savings and loan association (VSLA), consisting of 25 women, combines environmental protection with financial support by patrolling forests, planting indigenous trees in degraded areas, and operating a weekly savings scheme to fund small businesses.
• To adapt to climate challenges, women in the community have adopted agroforestry practices around their homes, cultivating drought-resistant, early-maturing varieties of crops, vegetables, and fruits.
• The international NGO Farm Africa provided critical support to the group through the organization of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) cooperatives, climate change awareness training, and the provision of agroforestry technologies, forestry materials, and market linkages.
• The initiative has led to economic improvements for participants, including the ability to build houses with corrugated iron sheets, fund children's education, and establish small businesses in egg production, petty trading, and shoats fattening.

APA

Ababu, A. G. (2023). Biftu Beri: The Rising Morning Sun for Climate-Vulnerable Women from Kumbi Kebele. Global Resilience Partnership. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/biftu-beri-the-rising-morning-sun-for-climate-vulnerable-women-from-kumbi-kebele/

Chicago

Ababu, Abera Getahun. Biftu Beri: The Rising Morning Sun for Climate-Vulnerable Women from Kumbi Kebele. Global Resilience Partnership, 2023. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/biftu-beri-the-rising-morning-sun-for-climate-vulnerable-women-from-kumbi-kebele/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ababu |first1=Abera Getahun |title=Biftu Beri: The Rising Morning Sun for Climate-Vulnerable Women from Kumbi Kebele |publisher=Global Resilience Partnership |date=3 April 2023 |url=https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/biftu-beri-the-rising-morning-sun-for-climate-vulnerable-women-from-kumbi-kebele/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ababu2023biftu, author = {Ababu, Abera Getahun}, title = {{Biftu Beri: The Rising Morning Sun for Climate-Vulnerable Women from Kumbi Kebele}}, institution = {Global Resilience Partnership}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/biftu-beri-the-rising-morning-sun-for-climate-vulnerable-women-from-kumbi-kebele/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }