Special Woreda Research Articles

Determinants of nutritional status of children aged 6–59 months in the case of Itang special woreda, Gambella, Ethiopia

Nutritional status is one of the most important causes of improper physical and mental development in children. The study attempts to assess the factors affecting the severity status of children aged 6–59 months’ malnutrition based on the weight-for-age anthropometric index (z-score) and examine between-kebeles-level differences in determinants of the nutritional status of children. A community-based, cross-sectional study design was conducted from October 12 to November 12, 2022. A sample of 397 children aged 6–59 months primary data by applying multi–stage clustered sampling technique was used by considering their heterogeneity. The data were entered by SPSS and analyzed by using R version 3.4.0 and STATA 14.2 statistical software package using a multilevel ordinal logistic regression model and inferences were conducted at a 5% significance level. The results show that birth interval ≥ 24 months (OR = 1.431253, 95% CI 1.221337 1.6763421, P-value = 0.008), economic status of households medium (OR = 16.21466, 95% CI 1.221403 1.423929, P-value = 0.000), economic status of households rich (OR = 223.2856, 95% CI 1.34295 2.582325, P-value = 0.000), employment status of the mother unemployed (OR = 0.2291348, 95% CI 0.0529511 0.9966281, P-value = 0.049), No toilet facility (bush field) (OR = 0.3163329, 95% CI 0.1825356 0.5481975, P-value = 0.000), number of household members (OR = 0.9100682, 95% CI 0.8313481 0.9967315, P-value = 0.042), breastfeeding < 12 months (OR = 0.53803, 95% CI 0.322315 0.898135, P-value = 0.018), educational level of father Primary (OR = 4.601687, 95% CI 1.758009 2.22053, P-value = 0.000), educational level of father Secondary above (OR = 99.65229, 95% CI 2.533502 4.788896, P-value = 0.000) and geographical area (kebeles) were found to be important factors that affect a child's nutritional status between 6 and 59 months. 15% of the overall variation is attributable to the Kebeles level, according to two-level multilevel ordinal logistic regressions with estimates of the variation attributable to the Kebeles level equal to 0.569 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.15. Due to the nature of the response variable random intercept model with random coefficients fitted the data adequately in predicting the severity status of children aged 6–59 months’ malnutrition for the multilevel ordinal logistic regression model analysis. So, the researcher recommended that implementing primary health care and nutrition programs that would fit each kebeles’ features in Itang Special Woreda to safeguard children from nutritional deficiency.

Simultaneous Determination of Mineral Nutrients and Toxic Metals in M. stenopetala from Southern Ethiopia: A Comparative Study of Three Cultivating Areas Using MP-AES.

In this study, for the first time, the levels of thirteen micro- and macromineral nutrients in the leaves, seeds, and supportive soil of Moringa stenopetala (M. stenopetala) were simultaneously determined using microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES). The samples were collected during the arid season, in 2019 from the three main M. stenopetala growing areas in southern Ethiopia (Chano Mile Kebele, Nechisar Kebele, and Konso Special Woreda). A novel digestion method for leaf and seed samples was developed using an optimized acid mixture (2.5 : 0.75 : 0.5 of HNO3, HClO4, and H2O2) at 240°C for 2 hrs and 30 min, resulting in clear and colorless solutions. The method makes the digestion process more efficient by minimizing the reagent volume, reducing digestion temperature and time, and simplifying the overall procedure. The efficiency of the optimized procedure was validated by spiking experiments, and the percentage recovery ranged between 94 and 110%. Under optimized experimental conditions, higher concentrations of essential minerals (K, Na, Ca, and Mg) were observed in the plant leaf and seed samples from the three areas. In addition, significant amounts of trace elements (Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) were also found. Importantly, no traces of the toxic elements (Cd and Pb) were detected in any of the analyzed samples, suggesting that the leaves and seeds of M. stenopetala are valuable sources of both micro- and macromineral nutrients and are safe from toxic metals. From a dietary perspective, the seed contains almost comparable concentrations of minerals as the leaves. As a result, the seeds of M. stenopetala can serve as an alternative source of minerals and play a role in overcoming the current global food crisis, particularly in the dry season. Analysis of variance at a 95% confidence level revealed significant differences in the levels of all mineral nutrients between the three sample means except K, Ca, Co, and Cu. Generally, the developed method includes an innovative digestion procedure that minimizes reagent consumption, operates at lower temperatures, and requires shorter digestion times, thereby optimizing resource utilization and maintaining analytical accuracy. Notably, the absence of toxic elements in the MP-AES procedure highlights the safety and reliability of M. stenopetala leaves and seeds as valuable, contamination-free sources of essential nutrients.

Analysis of Value Chain of Cow Milk: The Case of Itang Special Woreda, Gambella, Ethiopia

Ethiopia has a long and rich history of dairy farming, which was mostly carried out by small and marginal farmers who raised cattle, camels, goats, and sheep, among other species, for milk. Finding the Itang Special Woreda cow milk value chain is the study's main goal. In order to gather primary data, 204 smallholder dairy farmer households were randomly selected, and the market concentration ratio was calculated using 20 traders. Descriptive statistics, econometric models, and rank analysis were used to achieve the above specified goals. Out of all the participants in the milk value chain, producers, cafés, hotels, and dairy cooperatives had the largest gross marketing margins, accounting for 100% of the consumer price in channels I and II, 55% in channels III and V, and 25.5% in channels V. The number of children under five, the number of milking cows owned, the amount of money from non-dairy sources, the frequency of extension service contacts, the amount of milk produced each day, and the availability of market information were found to have an impact on smallholders' involvement in the milk market. Numerous obstacles also limited the amount of milk produced and marketed. The poll claims that general health issues, sickness, predators, and a lack of veterinary care are plaguing farmers. In order to address the issue of milk perishability, the researchers recommended the host community and organization to construct an agro milk processor, renovate the dairy cooperative in the study region, and restructure the current conventional marketing to lower the transaction and cost of milk marketing.

Delayed healthcare seeking and associated factors for common childhood illnesses among caregivers with under-five children who visited Yem special woreda public health facilities, Southwest Ethiopia, 2023.

For under-five children, receiving timely and appropriate medical attention is crucial in preventing serious and fatal complications. Unfortunately, evidence shows that parents of young children frequently delay seeking care, contributing to the death of many kids before they even get to a medical facility. The study aimed to assess delay in healthcare seeking and associated factors for common childhood illnesses among caregivers with under-five children visiting Yem special woreda public health facilities, 2023. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 333 caregivers of under-five children diagnosed with common childhood illnesses visiting Yem special woreda public health facilities. Systematic random sampling was employed, and data was collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Delay was characterized as a long time (typically >24 hours) between disease onset and beginning of treatment. Data was entered into Epi Data version 4.7 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25.0. Binary logistic regression model was fitted. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors that influence the delayed healthcare seeking. Adjusted odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval were used to determine the associations. Statistically significant variables were identified based on a p-value < 0.05. A total of 326 caregivers participated in the study with a response rate of 98%. The proportion of delayed health care seeking was 74.5%. Caregivers "wait-and-see" approach is the primary reason for the delay followed by traditional home treatments. Child ≥ 12 months (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.11-3.57), rural residence (AOR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.35-4.28), no community health insurance (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.07-3.42), traditional treatment (AOR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.46-6.10), and initial self-medication at home (AOR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.32-5.63) and perceiving illness as mild (AOR = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.28-5.42) were factors associated with delayed healthcare seeking. The study showed delay in health care seeking for common childhood illnesses among caregivers was high. Hence, reducing delays necessitates the implementation of public education campaigns, collaboration with local organizations, and the provision of counseling for caregivers regarding childhood illnesses.

Politics of Identity and Minority Quest for Self-Rule in Federal Ethiopia: The Case Study of Kabena People in South Central Ethiopia

The ethnic federal system was formally institutionalised in Ethiopia in 1991. This federal system has introduced instrumentalist conceptions of ethnic identity and renegotiation of identity, control of ‘ethnic territory’, and ethnic autonomy. Using the concept of ‘formal ethnicism’ as an analytical frame, the study has analysed identity politics and the minority quest for separate self-rule by taking Kabena People as a case study from the Gurage zone in the period from 1991 to 2022. Methodologically, the study used a qualitative approach and a case study research design. For data collation, both primary and secondary sources were used. This analytical model has been used to analyse how politicised ethnicity in the context of Kabena has led to the renegotiation of identity and a violent quest for separate ethnic autonomy. The study shows that after the formalisation of ethnicity as a leading political order, ethnic identities have been articulated to the extent of inter-group polarization between Gurage and Kabena due to new trends of subsuming a minority group under locally dominant groups without putting relevant institutional mechanism to prevent possible local level marginalization and domination. The findings further reveal that the subsumed status of Kabena has created a fragile and polarized inter-ethnic relation with the dominant Gurage which has been easily changed into inter-ethnic conflict. The key dynamics behind such conflict include competing interests, prolonged contestation, and protracted conflict for separate self-rule at the special woreda level and demand for the ownership of Wolkite town administration, which is the capital city of Gurage zone and located at the historic land of Kabena. The article concludes that the Kabena quest for self-rule took on an ethnic dimension within the context of ethnic politics and formalized ethnicity that hardened inter-group boundaries. Synchronizing the historic trajectory and inter-ethnic relationships with Gurage along with the contemporary scenario; the article tries to shed some light on the dynamics of identity politics, the quest for separate self-rule and control of Wolkite town in the context of Kabena vis-à-vis Gurage, focusing particularly on the post-1991 political order in Ethiopia and its local implications.

Farmers’ Perception and Willingness to Pay for Bamboo Forest Ecosystem Conservation in the Case of Tongo Woreda (Mao Komo Special Woreda), Western Ethiopia

Farmers’ Perception and Willingness to Pay for Bamboo Forest Ecosystem Conservation in the Case of Tongo Woreda (Mao Komo Special Woreda), Western Ethiopia

Participatory variety evaluation and selection of improved onion (Allium cepa L.) varieties for bulb yield under supplementary irrigation condition at Basketo Special District, Southern Ethiopia

Onion is one of the most important vegetables and high economic crops, but grown by a few small-scale farmers in Basketo special district (woreda). Likewise, productivity of the crop in the district is very low. Lack of improved onion varieties and the use of inappropriate agronomic practices are among the major factors that limit the productivity of onions in the study area. Hence, this study was conducted at Basketo special woreda in 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons under supplementary irrigation to evaluate adaptability and to select high yielding onion varieties using farmers’ selection criteria. The experiment consisted of five improved onion varieties, namely; Adama red, Bombay red, Nafis, Adama Red, Robaf and Nasik Red and arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design in three replications. The results revealed that onion varieties exhibited differential performance in the two cropping seasons in the study area. Accordingly, Nasik red variety gave the highest bulb weight, marketable and total bulb yield (13.23 and 1.75 t/ha) and took a short period for bulb maturity compared to other onion varieties in the two cropping seasons. On the other hand, variety Bombay red produced 11.7 and 11.3 t/ha during the year. However, variety ‘Nafis’ was also selected by the farmers through their criteria. Therefore, onion varieties Nasik red (129.9Q/ha) and Nafis (106.1 Q/ha) are selected and recommended for the onion growers in the study area for better bulb yield.

INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS AFFECTING GENDER MAINSTREAMING: THE CASE OF BASKETO SPECIAL WOREDA SECTOR OFFICES, ETHIOPIA

The purpose of this study is to assess the level of practices and determine institutional factors affecting gender mainstreaming practices (GMSP) in Basketo Special Woreda, Southern Ethiopia. The study adopted a mixed research approach. Quantitative data are collected through crosssectional descriptive survey with the help of structured questionnaire, whereas interview and focus group discussion are used to collect qualitative data. A total of 119 respondents participated in the study. A sample of 16 respondents are used for 2 FGDs each comprising 8 participants. Six leaders from different government offices are interviewed, and 1 proper person from SNNPRs Women, Youth and Children Affairs Bureau is also interviewed. Furthermore, 96 randomly selected officers from government institutions of Basketo Special Woreda filled the structured questionnaire. Quantitative data are presented and analyzed by using STATA version 14 software. OLRA is employed to determine the significant factors affecting GMSP in the study area, while qualitative data are analyzed thematically. The results indicated that absence of private offices for GM officers, non-proportional inclusiveness of women in leadership position, lack of awareness of leaders about GM, unfair distribution of responsibility between both sexes, and limited budget allocation for gender related issues significantly affected GMP in the study area. To alleviate these problems, concerned governmental and non-governmental organizations should work together to raise leaders’ awareness regarding gender mainstreaming and women empowerment in leadership positions. Also, gender officers should be assigned, made to act independently, and provided with their own offices. Moreover, mechanisms should be considered to promote women’s potential. Keywords: government sector offices, gender mainstreaming, Basketo Special Woreda, ordinal logistic regression, women empowerment

Spatial distribution and trends of anemia among pregnant women in Ethiopia: EDHS 2005-2016.

Anemia is a public health problem affecting both developed and developing nations worldwide with a significant consequence on health and economic growth. The problem is more severe in pregnant women. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to determine the factors of anemia levels among pregnant women in zones in Ethiopia. We utilized data from 2005, 2011, and 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey (EDHSs), a population-based cross-sectional study. The study includes 8,421 pregnant women. An ordinal logistic regression model with spatial analysis was used to explore factors of anemia levels among pregnant women. About 224 (2.7%), 1,442 (17.2%), and 1,327 (15.8%) pregnant women were mild, moderate, and severely anemic, respectively. The spatial autocorrelation of anemia among the administrative zones of Ethiopia for the three consecutive was not significant. The middle wealth index of 15.9% (OR = 0.841, CI: 0.72-0.983) and richest wealth index of 51% (OR = 0.49, CI: 0.409-0.586) were less likely anemic compared to the poorest wealth index, age group of mother 30-39 was 42.9% (OR = 0.571, CI: 0.359-0.908) times less likely to be moderate and above anemic compared to <20 years, several household members 4-6 were 51% (OR = 1.51, CI: 1.175-1.94 more likely moderate and above anemic compared to 1-3. Over one-third of the pregnant women (34.5%) were anemic in Ethiopia. Wealth index, age group, religion, region, number of household members, source of drinking water, and EDHS were significant factors in anemia levels. The prevalence of anemia among pregnant women varied among Ethiopian administrative zones. North West Tigray, Waghimra, Oromia special woreda, West shewa, and East shewa were a high prevalence of anemia.

Documentation of Traditional Knowledge on Medicinal Plants to Treat Respiratory Diseases in Yem Special Woreda, Southern Ethiopia

Respiratory diseases, which are caused by viruses and bacteria affect the upper and lower respiratory tract, are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, accounting for approximately 5.8 million deaths worldwide. This study attempts to document some of the most selected medicinal plants found in the study area with respect to respiratory diseases infections. The study was conducted in Yem special woreda of which three kebeles namely (Angery, Kerewa, and shemona metelo). The kebeles were selected purposely based availability of medicinal plants. This study recorded more than 31 plant-derived medicines to cure various respiratory diseases and also corona virus-related diseases. Other questionnaire based results revealed that almost all 90 (98.9%) of the respondents know the causative agents of respiratory diseases. Majority of the communities 43 (86.8%) want to transfer their traditional knowledge to everyone and their source of knowledge for traditional healing is from their father, whereas 11 (12.1%) of them from their mother, 6 (6.6%) from their grandmother and father and 3 (3.3%). Thus, the government should strengthen the capacity of traditional healers with training, financial support and improve means of protecting their intellectual property rights. Moreover, detailed study on phytochemical analysis of these medicinal plants should be promoted so as to modernize the effort of these traditional healers.

Shallow Groundwater Quality and Human Health Risk Assessment in Holte, a Town in Southern Ethiopia

Groundwater quality and human health risk assessment are critical for the long-term usage of household water supplies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate groundwater quality and human health risk in Holte, a town in the Derashe Special Woreda in southern Ethiopia. Water samples from seven shallow groundwater wells were taken and examined for hydrogeochemical properties. The Water Quality Index (WQI) was developed to assess the suitabilityof groundwater for drinking. Groundwater hydrochemistry types and evolutionary processes were investigated. The results suggested that the typical pH of groundwater samples had an average pH of 7.99. The values of electrical conductivity (EC), bicarbonate (HCO3) and total dissolved solid (TDS) in all samples were above the recommended upper limit of World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. Based on the hydrochemical findings, the orders of cationic abundance and anionic abundance in the groundwater were Ca²⁺ &lt; Mg²⁺ &lt; K⁺ &lt; Na⁺ and F⁻ &lt; SO₄²⁻ &lt; Cl⁻&lt; HCO₃⁻, respectively. According to the Piper Tri-linear Diagram, the majority of groundwater samples were found to have Mixed Ca-Na-HCO3. The Gibbs fields results showed that evaporation dominated groundwater quality, whereas chemical weathering of rock-forming minerals dominated the remaining samples. The calculated WQI result showed that 57.1% (4 handpumps) of groundwater samples from the town had acceptable water quality, but 42.9% (3 handpumps) had poor water quality. The finding of this study suggests that groundwater quality parameters should be tested and monitored on handpumps at sample locations 1, 2, and 3 in the town to minimize human health risks and ensure long-term socioeconomic development.

Short-Term Integrated Application of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Boron Fertilizer and the Farmyard Manure Effect on the Yield and Yield Components of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) at Alle Special Woreda, Southern Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important grain legume with a high food and commercial value. Yet, its productivity is very low, which could be attributed to low levels of soil organic matter, nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), sulfur (S), and boron (B), and insufficient fertilizer application. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted during the 2019 cropping season in Alle, Southern Ethiopia, to evaluate the agronomic and economic responses of blended NPSB (18.7N-37.4P2O5-6.9S-0.25B) and farmyard manure (FYM) for common bean production. Four NPSB-blended fertilizer rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg·ha−1) and three FYM rates (0, 2.5, and 5 tons·ha−1) were used in the experiment. The experiment was laid out using a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement with four replications. The result showed that NPSB and FYM significantly affected crop phenology, growth, yield, and yield components. Application of 100 kg·ha−1 NPSB along with 5 t·ha−1 FYM significantly increased the number of nodules, hundred seed weight, and grain production. The results also showed that using 100 kg·ha−1 NPSB fertilizer in combination with 5 t·ha−1 FYM produced the highest grain, which is about 173% higher grain yield than the control. Partial budget analysis indicated that application of 100 kg·ha−1 NPSB fertilizer with 5 t·ha−1 FYM resulted in the highest marginal rate of return (1308%) and the best net profit. Therefore, an integrated application of 100 kg·ha−1 NPSB fertilizer and 5 t·ha−1 FYM is suggested.

Passive Construction in Basketo

This paper deals with the passive construction in Basketo, a North Omotic language predominantly spoken in Basketo Special Woreda in Southern Nation Nationalities and Peoples Regional State, Ethiopia. The passive suffix - int- is also morphologically involved in reciprocal, reflexive, and spontaneous constructions. So, it can be regarded as a valency-reducing suffix having a de-transitivizing effect on the transitive. From the viewpoint of information structure, the passive construction is a strategy foregrounding the patient while backgrounding the agent. For this effect, OSV word order is used because the initial noun phrase of a sentence becomes a topic. On the other hand, in the interpretation of sentences with trivalent verbs, the noun phrase immediately preceding the verb is taken as focus. If this noun phrase is marked by instrumental (comitative) case -bara, the morpheme -int- of derived, verb stems must be interpreted as reciprocal, if accusative case (object), then passive. The passive form is also used in resultative constructions of telic verbs, i.e. those referring to a state that has happened as the result of a previous event. The object of the previous event is promoted to nominative, and the verbal noun of the derived verb stem with-int- is followed by the present auxiliary verb woɗe ‘exist’. Finally, the impersonal passive expresses a state of habitual or generic activity.

Prevalence of Milk Teeth Extraction and Enabling Community Factors Among Under Five-Year-Old Children in Alle Special Woreda, SNNPR, Ethiopia, 2022: Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study; Based on Theory of Planned Behavior Model

BackgroundMilk tooth extraction (MTE) is one of the most common harmful traditional practices performed by traditional healers without anesthesia and unsterile materials. The acute and chronic complications of this practice greatly affect the health of children. In order to develop effective preventive measures towards this harmful practice, the extent of the problem and factors contributing to the practice should be verified. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of MTE among under five-years-old children in Alle special Woreda.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional survey was undertaken at Alle Special Woreda among 363 women using a multi-stage stratified sampling method. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and data entry was done with Epi-data version 4.4.3.1, while data management and analysis were done with STATA version 14.0. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression models were used while model’s fitness was checked by Hosmer and Lemeshow test. Variables having a p-value of less than 0.05 were declared statistically significant in the final model.ResultMilk teeth extraction was practiced on 58.68% (95% CI:0.5,0.6) of children. Age of the child less than 12 months, AOR:1.27 (95% CI:1.02,1.6), maternal occupation (housewife) AOR:1.3 (95% CI:1.04,65), paternaleducational, level (illiterate) AOR:1.4 (95% CI:1.2,1.9), residence (rural) AOR:3.6 (95% CI:1.08,12.4), positive attitude AOR:1.65 (95% CI:1.01,2.8) and intentions AOR: 1.82 (95% CI:1.1,3.3) towards MTE practice showed statistically significant association with MTE practice.Conclusions and RecommendationsIt was found that milk teeth extraction practice was the most common practice in the study area, with a prevalence of 58.68%. Age of the child, maternal occupation, paternal educational level, residence, having a positive attitude and intentions toward MTE practice all had a statistically significant (P value less than 0.05) association with MTE practice. Society’s barriers, such as knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) related, health facility related, and peer and social pressure-related factors, were identified. All stakeholders should put great emphasis on the elimination of this harmful practice.

Modelling of the Contribution of Different Blended Fertilizers to Potato Production in Basketo Special Woreda, Gamo-gofa Zone, Ethiopia

Potato is important for food security in developing countries such as Ethiopia. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the contribution of varied fertilizers to potato yields at Basketo Special Woreda, Gamogofa Zone, Ethiopia. To attain this objective, a generalized linear mixed model was used to differentiate the factors that affect the marketable yield of potatoes by considering variability within three replications. In addition, this study used the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to check the goodness of fit tests of normal distribution. The collected data were analyzed using statistical software, SAS version 9.4. The mean of plant tallness, number of plants per plot, number of plants per slope, and number of tubers per slope were 73.65 (SD = 12.2), 155.2 (SD = 112.2), 3.23 (SD = 1.31), and 10.91 (SD = 3.15.2), respectively. The result reveals that 6% of variation existed in potato yield between plots, and the remaining 94% existed within plots. Apart from a linear mixed model, a random intercept model was applied to this data. The findings reveal that fertilizer types, number of plants per plot, and numbers of tubers per hill were significant at 5% level of significant. Thus, the expected marketable yield of potatoes decreased by 0.7819 tons/hectare when the number of tubers per hill increased by 1 unit. On the other hand, the expected marketable yield of potatoes has increased by 0.0175 tons/hectare when the number of plants per plot increased by 1 unit.

Shallow Groundwater Quality and Human Health Risk Assessment in Holte, a Town in Southern Ethiopia

Groundwater quality and human health risk assessment are critical for the long-term usage of household water supplies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate groundwater quality and human health risk in Holte, a town in the Derashe Special Woreda in southern Ethiopia. Water samples from seven shallow groundwater wells were taken and examined for hydrogeochemical properties. The Water Quality Index (WQI) was developed to assess the suitability of groundwater for drinking. Groundwater hydrochemistry types and evolutionary processes were investigated. The results suggested that the typical pH of groundwater samples had an average pH of 7.99. The values of electrical conductivity (EC), bicarbonate (HCO3) and total dissolved solid (TDS) in all samples were above the recommended upper limit of World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. Based on the hydrochemical findings, the orders of cationic abundance and anionic abundance in the groundwater were Ca²⁺ &lt; Mg²⁺ &lt; K⁺ &lt; Na⁺ and F⁻ &lt; SO₄²⁻ &lt; Cl⁻ &lt; HCO₃⁻, respectively. According to the Piper Tri-linear Diagram, the majority of groundwater samples were found to have Mixed Ca-Na-HCO3. The Gibbs fields results showed that evaporation dominated groundwater quality, whereas chemical weathering of rock-forming minerals dominated the remaining samples. The calculated WQI result showed that 57.1% (4 handpumps) of groundwater samples from the town had acceptable water quality, but 42.9% (3 handpumps) had poor water quality. The finding of this study suggests that groundwater quality parameters should be tested and monitored on handpumps at sample locations 1, 2, and 3 in the town to minimize human health risks and ensure long-term socioeconomic development.

Challenges of Financing Agricultural Investment Evidence From Gambella Region, Ethiopia

The aim of this paper was to assess the agricultural investment financing challenges in Gambella city administration and Itang special Woreda, Ethiopia. To achieve the objectives, data were collected from both primary using questionnaires and secondary sources from annual reports, manuals, and performance reports. Explanatory research design was used and the 215 sample were selected using stratified random sampling technique from workers of DBE, investment agency and investors of Gambella region. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 to run both descriptive and multiple liner regression result. Accordingly, the major challenging factors are the low investment return, farm risk, security issues, lending procedures, farm size, distant of investor’s farm from lender, poor infrastructure, lack of technical capacity, farm age and budget failure with their respective proportion. The correlation matrix result showed that there is no multicollinearity problem existing among explanatory variables. Regression also revealed that all the explanatory variables with exception of budget failure and lending procedures have significant challenging effects on financing agricultural investment. Finally, the research recommended that diversified sources of finance for agricultural investment should be established, training programs on performance issues, irrigation in response to drought, agricultural technical capacity, and infrastructure facilities are needed, stable security and return of loan amount must be seriously dealt with, and measures like strong monitoring and evaluation need to be put into practice.

Community Level Project Planning (CLPP) Assessment Report, Natural Resource Research Directorate, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia

Ethiopian economy is supported by its agricultural sector which is fundamental instrument for poverty alleviation, food security, and economic growth. One of the constraints in agricultural research is weak participatory project planning to alleviate agricultural problems. Any research activities carried out without baseline information were not targeted on root problems of the research area. Most of research activities carried out in the field was not considered constraints and opportunity of the study area. In other words, in agricultural research, poor problems identifications before field demonstration/experimentation may lead to reaching in to false finding. Therefore, this community level based project planning/CLPP/ assessment was aimed to identify agricultural constraints and opportunities of targeted Woredas of Silte, Gurage Zones and Yem Special woreda in 2008 E.C. The assessment was done from Silte Zone in (Alicho Weroro, Misrak Azernet Berbere and Mierab Azernet Berbere districts), from Gurage Zone (Geta, Enemor Ener, Gummer, Endigagn and Cheha Woredas) and Yem special woreda. Therefore, this paper highlights the CLPP (community level project planning) assessment was reported in tabular and listed. The aim of this assessment was to provide information to those who develop demand driven research activities. The assessment report mainly focused on Natural resource research constraint and opportunities of Worabe agricultural research center AGP-II thematic Woredas by selected representative kebeles from each Woreda in the project zones. All the collected constraints and opportunities of natural resource research directorate were listed down in tabular form and short bulleted discussion from each woredas’ were written in precisely. In addition to this, major problems of the area were attempted to narrate below in the table shortly. The study shows there were different research constraint almost all in assessed woredas’ which needs intervention of natural resource research work in different disciplines.

Nominal suffixes as markers of information structure in Basketo

This paper deals with the information function of two nominal suffixes, -i appearing in all nouns, and -n- in first- and second-person pronouns in Basketo, a North Omotic language predominantly spoken in the Basketo Special Woreda in Ethiopia. The suffix -i is often described as nominative. However, object nouns without definite marker can be marked by -i, and as a result -i can appear in both subject and object in the same sentence. We analyze morpheme -i as a marker of specificity. Suffix -n- distinguishes short and long forms of the first- and second-person subject pronoun. The short form is the same as the possessive. In general, the possessive does not bear any pragmatic information in discourse. Therefore, short pronouns also show no pragmatic function, but show what is subject or agent in a clause. On the other hand, long pronouns are morphologically and pragmatically marked. We analyze morpheme -n- as the foregrounded topic in discourse in contrast with zero anaphora.

Harmful Traditional Practices Against Women and Children in Yem Special Woreda, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Harmful Traditional Practices Against Women and Children in Yem Special Woreda, SNNPR, Ethiopia