Solidaridad East and Central Africa

Recently, Solidaridad East and Central Africa successfully concluded a four-day training on Biochar Production and Biochar-Based Fertilizer Development in Jimma, Dedo, and Kersa, Ethiopia, a milestone in advancing climate-smart and regenerative agriculture. Implemented under the RECLAIM Sustainability! #Cotton & #Textile Programme Value Chain, this initiative equipped farmers with practical skills to restore soil fertility, enhance productivity, and reduce carbon emissions. In partnership with Jimma University the pilot focused on promoting the use of #biochar and #bonechar-based soil amendments to rehabilitate degraded farmlands. Over 123 farmers participated in hands-on sessions, gaining the knowledge and confidence to turn agricultural residues into valuable resources that improve soil health and boost yields. This work reflects our broader commitment to building climate-resilient communities, improving livelihoods, and supporting Ethiopia’s transition toward sustainable and inclusive agricultural systems. Sanka Sepe Kalayu Gebru Bonsa Girma Berhanu Woldu Anteneh Arega #ChangeThatMatters

As Kenya celebrates #MashujaaDay today, we acknowledge all our partners and beneficiaries as #heroes for the vital role they play in advancing sustainable livelihoods for small-scale farmers across East and Central Africa. #HappyMashujaaDay25

Recently, Solidaridad East and Central Africa Ethiopia, under the Reclaim Sustainability! #Cotton and #Textile Project, convened a two-day advocacy workshop in Gondar, Amhara Region, focused on scaling up the contract farming model. The discussions centered on the new contract farming directive and guidelines, addressing challenges in cotton farm development, and identifying practical, long-term solutions. The workshop culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize collective commitment toward sustainable cotton production. The session brought together 40 key actors, including representatives from Gendewuha Cotton Ginnery Factory PLC, lead farmers, Nigat Corporate, the Amhara Agricultural Bureau, Metema Producers’ Union, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia. This multi-stakeholder platform reinforced the importance of collaboration in strengthening value chains and fostering inclusive growth for smallholder farmers. As a result of our contract farming model, in 2025, Nigat Corporate demonstrated its leadership by distributing 63 quintals of improved Deltapine 90 cotton seeds valued at ETB 1.5 million free of charge to contract farmers. The company also facilitated ETB 1 million in interest-free loans for nine large farms, supporting 1,050 hectares of #cotton cultivation across Metema and West Armachiho districts. These efforts are projected to yield 1,890 tons of cotton, providing farmers with increased productivity and income stability. The initiative not only ensures market access but also promotes the use of improved seeds, modern #agronomic practices, and continuous extension support. Encouraged by these results, Amhara regional leaders pledged to expand the model across other cotton-growing agro-ecologies. By 2026, plans are in place to reach 1,000 additional smallholder farmers and bring 10,000 hectares of land under sustainable contract farming with Gendewuha Cotton Factory PLC. This scaling-up effort builds on the successful 2024 pilot between six #organic cotton cooperatives and the Gamo Development Association, which engaged 800 farmers. Whereas in 2025, the model has expanded to seven cooperatives and 1,200 farmers across Gamo and Wolayta zones. Through this continued collaboration, Solidaridad and its partners are laying the foundation for a resilient, market-driven, and inclusive cotton sector in Ethiopia, one that uplifts farmers, strengthens local economies, and promotes sustainable production for generations to come. Kalayu Gebru Berhanu Woldu Bonsa Girma Sanka Sepe #ChangeThatMatters #SustainableFarming

#HappyWorldFoodDay! At Solidaridad East and Central Africa, we believe that the right to food is more than a necessity, it is the foundation of a better future. On this #WorldFoodDay2025, we are reminded that the path to ending hunger lies in building food systems that are diverse, nutritious, and sustainable. Across the region, we stand shoulder to shoulder with smallholder farmers, supply chain actors, governments, and development partners to make sustainability the norm. From advancing #climatesmartagriculture and #regenerative practices to supporting on-farm diversification and improving #marketaccess, our interventions are shaping food systems that nourish people while protecting the planet. Every harvest, every partnership, and every innovation brings us closer to a world where safe and nutritious food reaches every home, and communities thrive in resilience. As Solidaridad East and Central Africa, we are not just feeding the present, we are cultivating a future of dignity, sustainability, and shared prosperity. #ChangeThatMatters Solidaridad Network #SustainableAgriculture

#InternationalDayofRuralWomen(IDRW) At Solidaridad East and Central Africa, our initiatives are focused on empowering women and youth in agricultural through social inclusion. As we mark this year’s International Day of Rural Women (IDRW), themed, ''Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All'', we celebrate our rural women for their resilience towards a #foodsecure household, while embracing #climatesmart agriculture. Learn more about the rural women we work with below.

🌟 Great News! 🌟 Solidaridad East and Central Africa has officially been nominated for the “Best in Agriculture” category at the 2025 NGO Awards! 🙌🏽 This is a huge recognition of the incredible work we all do across the region. We kindly seek your support! 💪🏽 Please take a minute to vote for Solidaridad and help us bring this award home! 🏆 How to Vote: 1️⃣ Click here 👉🏽 https://lnkd.in/dBhYsWsG 2️⃣ Search for Solidaridad East & Central Africa – Best in Agriculture 3️⃣ Submit your vote and check your email for confirmation. 🗓️ Voting closes: Wednesday, 6th November 2025 (Midnight) Let’s show the impact we are making together and get Solidaridad shining on that stage! ✨ A big thank you to all team members who contributed to make this happen.

Empowering Communities Through Beekeeping 🐝 As part of the Biodiversity In Action: Strengthening Ecosystems for Resilient Agriculture (BASE) Project, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kenya. Solidaridad East and Central Africa conducted a two-day hands-on training at TaCRI-Mbimba, Songwe, Tanzania, engaging 68 women and youth from Mbeya and Songwe regions. The training focused on: ✔ Beekeeping Skills – From hive construction and apiary management to honey harvesting and handling. ✔ Value Addition – Wax processing and honeycomb utilization for products like candles, soaps, and cosmetics. ✔ Pollinator Conservation – Understanding bees as essential allies in coffee pollination, biodiversity restoration, and      food security. ✔Group Governance – Strengthening savings groups and managing collective enterprises to boost long-term sustainability. Saidi Wega and Edward Mutafya were among our beneficiaries who attended the training, “I didn't know bees could be farmed, they are just insects that move from one place to another,” – Saidi Wega, Tujiamini group (Songwe). “I used to collect wax from the sides of hives to repair tools. I didn’t know there was an easier way to produce more wax for wider use,” – Edward Mutafya, Jitume Group (Mbeya) Market linkages were also established with #CentralParkBeesLimited Swahili Honey which processes only 500 out of 1500 tons/year capacity, opening exciting opportunities for youth and women to scale up their beekeeping businesses. This one-year initiative (2025–2026) aims to build resilient coffee systems by: Promoting pollinator-friendly enterprises. Planting native trees, Reducing chemical use and diversifying smallholder incomes.  Roselaida Ngowi Joshua Mwakatobe Mary Mkonyi GN Nderingo Stephen Kithuka

#Ugandaat63! As we celebrate 63 years of Uganda’s independence, we reflect on what true freedom means, economic, social, and environmental empowerment. At Solidaridad East and Central Africa, we believe that real independence begins when communities have the power to shape their own future. Through climate-smart agriculture, fair value chains, and inclusive development, we stand with farmers and miners across #Uganda to build resilient livelihoods and a sustainable tomorrow. Today, we honor the spirit of self-determination and celebrate the thousands of producers who are transforming challenges into opportunities making Uganda food secure, prosperous, and resilient. #HappyIndependenceDayUganda #UgandaAt63 #Sustainability #ClimateSmartAgriculture #InclusiveGrowth #Solidaridad #ResilientCommunities

In September, the Biochar Program conducted a 4-day training on the role of biochar in climate mitigation, artisan biochar production techniques,  #carbonremoval, and its environmental benefits. The lead project officer, Joshua Mwakatobe from Solidaridad East and Central Africa, conducted hands-on training in biomass assessment, weighing, kiln operation, and biochar production to 195 farmers and 4 extension government officers. The training was conducted in Agriculture Marketing Cooperative Society (AMCOS), Itepula, Sambewe, Ipyana, and Iyenga in Tanzania. Practical sessions included hands-on training in #Biochar production techniques using raw materials such as maize cobs and stalks biomass, and biomass layering to ensure fewer methane emissions. Post-production activities, including fire quenching techniques and biochar weighing. The training emphasized health and safety throughout the artisan biochar production process, ensuring trainees took turns in the kiln operation (turning the cooking biochar to ensure proper and complete cooking). The Biochar production technology supports #climatechangemitigation  efforts, rewarding farmers economically through enhancing soil health and improving agricultural resilience. Laura K. Mary Mkonyi Roselaida Ngowi Sweeny Binsari Kevin Aditya Prathama

#WorldCottonDay2025! Today, we celebrate the dedication of our small-scale cotton farmers and partners across the cotton value chain, whose hard work makes it possible to create sustainable fashion and positively impact livelihoods.