Notable people Elders Name Main activities in the community as elders What other elite positions do they hold? see above for a definition of elite Which other elites are in their networks? Elder 1 Mediating during conflicts, intermediaries to ask girls for marriage, Giving blessing for newly built houses, newly bought tents for iddir Treasurer of Iddir, 4 people working in Iddir admin and helping the elders work in many ways Elder 2 The same Monk at Amanuel Church 3 people in the church service and they also sometimes assist the mediation with elders Elder 3 The same Kebele elders’ leader representative to the kebele and known by the wereda administration 2 neighbours who work together with M during mediation Clan leader What kind of clan leader? Main activities in the community What elite positions do they hold? Which other elites are in their networks?
Kussa UC (title given by the Gada system) An organizer of Folea /feast members. Managing members of Deciding on the penalty for misbehaving man like extramarital affair, marrying second wife, having affair with a widow without blessing the of this group/Folea. There are two who help the Kussa in the administration of Folea, and in working for the System. There are about 60 members of the Folea/Geda festival who sing around the village at the feast date. This and leadership remains for eight years, and the leader and the group will be replaced, and the leadership is given only for some identified families in Geda, and SC’s son will be a leader 40 years from now. Etimeko are cultural police in Geda who serve the Folea group by chasing down and bringing those found deviating from the culture. There are other groups who will replace the Folea in the coming 8 years known as ‘Deblea’. When the Foleas are in somebody’s house for invitation/festival, the ‘Deblea’ will sit and eat in the cattle’s house or at the door outside, because they respect the Folea, though they are opponents and successors. Etimeko of a Folea, will be Deblea in the next round when the earlier Deblea take over and became Folea Community-specific customary leaders What kind of customary leader? Main activities in the community What other elite positions do they hold? Which other elites are in their networks These people are in the neighboring kebeles (Gubasea and Gerbicah kebeles) who are like a sorceress called Waka Efeta in afan Oromo People go to people seeking blessings for newborn babies, to find out the truth when there is an accusation between two people, to get medication for humans and livestock. Ato C also serves as an elder to mediate conflict when he is not connected with the sprit/Ayana. These mediators are called Agafari serving as speaker to the clients. This is to say, the sorceress doesn’t meet clients directly, but a mediator listens to him and tells what he said to people who are seeking his service. The sorceress/Waka Efeta sits behind a curtain and is not seen by the public/clients.
Ato B was a medical professional in the military, and now he is working as a culture office worker at Ada Wereda, and he does the same as Ato C ‘Weka Efata’ in the Gerbicha kebele near Sirba. People go to these people seeking blessings for newborn babies, to get the truth when there is denial between two people, to get medication for humans and livestock. Clients sing all night waiting for his service and from his window he encourages them to sing. Culture and tourism office at Wereda level. These are called Agafari serving as speaker to the clients, the Waka Efeta sit behind a curtain when his spirit comes and tells the solution/answer to the Agafari and he serves as mediator to connect clients with the Spiritual man. Note: No one in Sirba village does what Ato B does Religious leaders Religion Main activities in the community What other elite positions do they hold? Which other elites are in their networks Orthodox Christian Preaching, praying, blessing, mediating during conflicts Community elder Community elders Orthodox Christian Preaching, praying, blessing, mediating during conflicts Community elder Community elders Orthodox Christian Preaching, praying, blessing, mediating during conflicts No other role None
Orthodox Christian Preaching, praying, blessing, mediating during conflicts No other role Secretary of Credit and saving in 70 farmers are a member ‘ Iftu Udea’ CSA/credit and saving association Successful farmers Main activities in the community What other elite positions do they hold? Who is in their networks Farming, (Bull fattening, having high breed cows for milk, crop production mainly Teff) Representative for the Farmers’ association for fertiliser distribution, chairman of improved producer farmers, and he is a community elder, Elders group, kebele administration, kebele DA office, and with farmers producing improved seeds.
Farming (the same as Ato L above, and he also uses irrigation by using piped water through drip irrigation, he produces vegetables besides highbreed cows and bull fattening and crop production) treasurer but no other elite position Iddir leaders, Successful female farmers Main activities in the community What elite positions do they hold? Who is in their networks Farming (crop production, bull fattening, dairy production) Kebele level women’s affairs head, Iddir treasurer Kebele administration, iddir leaders
Farming (Crop production, dairy farming from high breed cows, irrigation by pump motors, chickens from which she harvests 100 eggs a day, she also has a horse cart working in Denkaka town) She is leader of With iddir administrators, Tiswa mahiber/religious group for festivals Successful traders/businessmen Main activities in the community What other elite positions do they hold? Who is in their networks trade, shop, providing transport service by LONCHINA/old bus, dairy farming. The main one is grain trade No other involvement in the community except the business he runs Iddir member Grain trade, and horse cart transportation service from the village to Denkaka No other position Tsewa Mehaber/Association, Iddir member
Successful female traders/businessmen Main activities in the community What other elite positions do they hold? Who is in their networks Rural bar, and shop, horse cart No other position Just neighborhood, and customers, Iddir member Rural bar and shop No position Just neighborhood, and customers, Iddir member leaders Main activities in the community What other elite positions do they hold? Who is in their networks Kebele level women’s affairs representative No position All women in the kebele, women’s association, women’s league, kebele administration Leader for Oromia Credit and Saving at Sirab Kebele No other position Kebele administration, Adea wereda credit and saving office Political activists Main activities in the community What other elite positions do they hold? Who is in their networks Vice chair of the kebele Community elder Kebele administration, OPDO party members
Militia leader, and also militia himself Iddir leader, OPDO Party members, iddir leaders Kebele Kebele Cabinet Cabinet position Livelihood success farming + other activities What other elite positions do they hold? Who is in their networks? Chair Farming, success is based on crop production, bull fattening He works as Agafari/speaker of the sorcery/Waka Efata for Ato BI mentioned above. They are neighbors but B is in another kebele’s demarcation Kebele administration, wereda admin, agriculture, Health posts, wereda security and justice office, the community etc. Farming, mainly crop production and bull fattening in the community to resolve disputes and other issues like blessing etc. Elders group, kebele administration group. Peace and security Women affairs officer Farmer, mainly crop esp Teff, and livestock Nothing Kebele administration and Iddir membership, saving and credit group member Justice and admin Farming crop mainly Teff and Chick pea/shimbra, Nothing Kebele administration, Iddir members Government employees
Age Sex of origin Time in community Appreciation by the community Kebele manager 26 M Sirba/same kebele Life time Well accepted and respected Head teacher 39 M Delo/Denkaka Kebele, same wereda 5 years Well accepted and respected, and students like him HEW 1 25 F Harar 6 Well accepted and people listen when they give health education HEW 2 22 F Gubesayea kebele, same wereda 2 years Well accepted and people listen when they give health education DA Crops 42 M Delo Kebele, Same wereda 6 years Well accepted and respected DA Livestock 29 F Dukem Leyu zone 3 Respected and accepted DA NRM 41 M Gerbicho Kebele, same wereda/Ada 1 years Respected and well accepted Vet 24 M Denkaka Kebele, same wereda 3 years Accepted and respected well Cooperative Ideas Conservative ideas Old people, religious leaders and conservative religious followers usually oppose modern ideas and remain conservative in this kebele. Apart from the young people, most of the community members are advocates of these conservative ideas. Those who support new ideas are people who are not involved in religious leadership, people who are not that old. Conservative people appreciate FGM and they are not happy to stop the practice. Old people also believe in creatures like trees and they celebrate by slaughtering a bull which is never used for ploughing. (There is old tradition in Oromiya and also some other ethnic groups, involving
Wealth inequalities Very rich Rich Middle Poor Very poor Destitute proportions in community (number or %) The kebele in general has 700 HHs, 195 hhs in Sirba Village, out of this 195, 25 of them are very rich Out of 195 HHs 55 are rich 65 people out of 195 55 people 13 people 2, one old woman who is 65 years old dependent beggar, another woman who is 40 and has mental problem beginning who is homeless. Household goods found in these houses TV, Sofa, Bufea, modern chairs and tables, modern bed, satellite receiver , refrigerator TV, Sofa, Modern furniture like bed, and table etc TV, timber made char, wire made bed The chair is mostly made of mud, small tables made in the village, radio Some dishes, plates, water containers and bed made of mud, small box to put their clothes They don’t have any property except what they wear Sources of wealth Farming, bull fattening, high breed cows and dairy farming, some of them are engaged in trade, mainly grain trade, transport These group has farming as the only source of income including Crops, livestock and Farming mainly crop production, and shoats keeping Farming from land, they may have an ox, a cow or two sheep or goat people may not have even small farm land, but they have a house, and they sell dried animal dung, they clean other farmers’ cattle house, they Begging is the only source of food and the one was able to get shelter from a good hh who volunteered to give a small hut to the old woman
service by their own cars (minibus, Lonchina, IVECO trucks) dairy farming bake enjera for others, work as farm labourer, cutting wood for others, they plaster a house with mud etc How do poor people get by? They take grains on credit, some engage in farm labour, stone production, and assistance from relatives within and from other places outside Sirba They survive by farm labour, and other labour work like fencing, doing labour work during construction of a house, by extracting stone, by getting grain from relatives as assistance These people beg by moving from door to door. Community members give them food, clothes and also people from church sometimes give them money Changes in last 10 years in propns of each category (more or Those who were very rich in the past 10 years, became richer but a Those who were rich at that time now Those who were middle class ten years ago, mostly became poor ten years ago most joined middle class and few Some became middle class mainly those who are able to plough Those who were destitute in the past ten years were about 6 all died and the last death was
fewer) few became less rich due to age, and their young children got education and left them. They are less able to work in the farming activities became very rich, because they were young then and they could work harder in the past ten years. Because age matters on farming activity rich and others became poor became rich, a few are still poor others’ land by contract, and some lifted up to poor level, some were able to be at poor level by poultry and getting goats or sheep in the past three years. These people were labourers living in the same neighbourhood before, when they get old they began to beg and lately they died Status differences Names of groups % in each group 2013 Is this more or less than in 2003? Why? Wealth differences among the different groups? Quality of relations between groups Shared organisations like iddir? Extent of participation of each in kebele management? Ethnic Amhara, , Tigre, Kembata, Welayta 177 Oromo hhs New Oromo families arose from the newly married Out of the 10 Amharas 3 are very rich and 6 are rich and 1 of them middle wealth, Among the 6 There is very good relationship among all groups and some even 10 Amhara difference
2 Americans (born from American man and Oromo mother) called Ferengies couples, and increased, some Amhara died due to old age and disease and their number reduced, Tigrians’ hh increased b/c of new young hhs, Tigrians three are very rich, two are rich and one is middle class, all the three Kembata are poor, and also the Wolayitta. The Oromo are large in number and they make up large share of each status group intermarried. There was no conflict among these groups. Amhara with Welayta, There is no objection about the intermarriage from any of the ethnic group, it is normal to all. are others in neighbourhood, it is not based ethnicity. Maheber is also shared the same way ethnic groups than Oromos used to lead in the previous rounds but last year new leadership became in place and by chance all of them are Oromos 6 Tigrean 3 Kembata 1 Welayta
Religious differences Orthodox (Protestants in the neighbouring village, same kebele ) No major change, the priests are Amharas till now no Oromo Priest is there. The one Wolayitta serves as announcer of death in Iddir by blowing Tirumba/Embilta No major change No major change No major change No major change No major change No change Clan differences No difference in Sirba
Craft workers Carpenter, brick builder, ‘Gombisa were-tolchu’ who makes cover of enjera baking plate, blacksmith, part time driller of wooden farm tools, thatcher, and potter 3 carpenter, 2 brick builders, 2 Gambisa weretolchisa 1 blacksmith at Udea village serving Sirba There were 3 carpenters ten years ago, 2 of them died and 1 is too old now, we have another 3 carpenters, Those women working on Gombisa were there ten years ago and they are still working on it. They are not old. We had no blacksmith in Sirba. It is less privileged work and still no one is in the The income difference is as follows in descending order: Brick builder, carpenter, black smith, and Gambisa/Akembalo worker women. But the women with least income save more money as they don’t drink and spend it freely, the life of these women is better. There is no bad relation among any of them, but the carpenter and the construction man work together and they drink, the women don’t help each other Blacksmiths were less favoured for marriage, but now it is not a problem, potters’ family had same problem but now the problem is solved. There is no restriction There is Iddir and Maheber which are open for everyone. There is no restriction based on occupation These people by chance were not part of administration. People are elected based on their ability and occupation is not a problem. For example the husband of Gombisa/Akembalo is member of Kebele council
Vulnerable people Also from the kebele manager Rough numbers Change in last 10 years? What problems do they have Who cares for them? Are there NGOs that help these people? Disabled adults and children One blind man who is 18, epilepsy cases - 2 men and woman, one deaf man who is 25, and one mentally ill woman who is around 40. There is one 3 year old boy who is deaf, and unable to walk. There was one person with walking disability who died last year. The other cases listed were there even before ten years ago, except the newborn one. The blind child couldn’t get access to brail, the mentally ill one has no one to care for her and sleeps under trees, the man with Epilepsy has poor mother to help him and she is suffering a lot Family and relatives are those responsible There is no NGO helping these people Mentally ill people and families One 40 year old having no relative There was no one with such problems 10 years ago She has no relatives helping her, she has no medical attention, and not even a house, she sleeps rough No one is there to take care of her No NGO is to support Old people needing support There is one old destitute who is dependent on one community member’s hh. She is 65 6 old people who were helpless died in the past ten Food, clothes, shelter, medical care etc are a problem for the helpless woman Just one volunteer community member took responsibility, elders are cared for by the community There is no NGO Orphans are 4 orphans between 3-8 years of age, 2 girls and two boys. There was no orphan before ten years, now we have 4, three households died due to Two of these children are not attending school, and they were left to grandparents, and uncles, Grandparents and uncles took responsibility No NGO
AIDS and these orphans were the result of this disaster they are not cared for well and have poor nutrition and clothes, they are also feeling depressed psychologically Women heading households Five More FHH were there but now some widows remarried, and the divorce rate decreased because there are more strong nuclear families. They don’t have a man to plough land, when she hires a man he wouldn’t be loyal and obedient to her, the community respects them, they don’t have social stigma They don’t need anyone to care for them, but neighbours and community members help them in any farm work or other things as they cooperate with the community as well No NGO PLWHAs 1 woman but there are some suspected to hide their status There was no HIV infections before She has no problem as people don’t stigmatize her The family her, and she is not ill and weak so she can also work No NGO Support Households The local family type is a nuclear family structure in which parents and their children reside. However, as parents share their land with their sons, they live almost together. The from the extended type of family is that new couples lead their own life with very limited interference of older generation/parents. It is mentioned that some families have a large size up to 10 children and the smallest family size contains parents and only two children. There are about 5 female headed households in the village. Everyone in Sirba pays tax and therefore 224 hhs pay tax. Landless households are about 6% only, but these people have a house for which they should pay land tax for the space they have occupied when constructing a house. The amount of the tax for the landless is less compared to those who have farmland. There are about 1570 people in Sirba community. There are about 600 young and children who are under 20 and dependent on their parents. There are youth who completed grade 10, college, and some drop outs who are unable to get land or jobs, who still are dependent on their parents, these are about 117, but a few of them have a chance to be employed in the Chinese road construction company. Wider context
How frequent? Change since 2008 Action to prevent stealing How effective Action to catch criminals How effective Punishments Theft of crops Only during harvest season, crops are stolen from the farm land - It has decreased Kebele tataki’s (militia) role has been important. -it has been prohibited to stay at the local drink houses after 10:pm in the evening -People started to collect their crops from the farm as soon as it is time to collect. Some people hire watchman to look after their crops People get information through the 1-5 development teams People get information through the 1-5 development Awareness raised Some are punished by the wereda court and are detained Robbery from people is one robbery of livestock every rainy season Decreased People get information through the 1-5 development teams -Some rich households hire guards to look their cattle in the nights The kebele tataki mobilised the men to patrol the community in the nights and reduced the crime The kebele tataki worked together with the community Not effective because criminals usually come from unknown places None