Misilam
Billion Temesghen
https://shabait.com/2020/09/19/misilam/#Eritrea
NATION BUILDING
On Sep 19, 2020
Misilam, a Tigrigna word for coronation, is the name of a mountain in Dubaruwa that stands at X481424 and Y1666037, where in ancient Eritrea noblemen used to go for their coronation.
The construction of Misilam Dam, which is named after the mountain, began in 2010 by Seghen Construction Company. Eng.
Dawit Berhane, a hydro geologist at the construction company, said that the construction of the dam was initially conceived to meet three main objectives — supplying three major towns in the Southern region (Dubaruwa, Dekemhare and Mendefera) with water, ensuring economic growth and fighting climate change. Later, the project included as part of its objectives the provision of water to 45 other small towns and villages along the supply line.
Misilam Dam is found in the upper stretch of Mereb River, in a water basin catchment of 523 kilometers square. Annually, more than 320 millimeters of rainfall is channeled to the dam. With its present capacity to hold 38 million cubic meter of water, Misilam Dam is expected to sustainably nourish the targeted cities and villages for the next 50 – 60 years.
Misilam Dam’s strategic location ensures a reliable amount of water all year round. Excess water that overflows from the dam has encouraged farmers in the surrounding villages to grow crops, vegetables and fruits throughout the year. Preparations are also being made to pump some of the excess water to Logo Dam to boost its capacity and supplement the development work on that site.
Left to Right; Eng. Micael, Eng. Dawit & Eng. Tesfazghi
The construction of Misilam Dam, which took four years to complete, is special in the sense that it not only required the use of a number of heavy machineries but also the deployment of thousands of civilians whose main task was gathering stones and delivering them to the construction site. People from Asmara and villages in the Central region and other cities and villages in the Southern region took turn in going to the site to engage in the public work. This was made possible with the local administration offices’ praiseworthy work in the administration of human resources. For example, Eng.
Tesfazghi Micael, Head of the Engineering Department at Segen Construction Company, considers the Administration of the Southern region one of the most important stakeholders in the project next to the Ministry of Mining and the Ministry of Defense. Eng. Tesfazghi said that the Southern region’s Administration office managed well its human resources, which included masons and other construction workers, and encouraged people to contribute their level best in the construction of the dam.
The Government of Eritrea has for long encouraged people congested in cities and towns of Eritrea to settle in places near water dams where they could lead comfortable lives based on modern farming, animal breeding and cottage industry. Therefore, encouraging urban development was seen as part of the objectives of the construction of Misilam Dam, and there is a plan, which is currently in its preliminary stage, to construct well-equipped satellite towns in areas surrounding the dam as a way to lessen the population congestion in Asmara and other cities by encouraging people to relocate.
Other projects being implemented surrounding Misilam are agricultural projects over a large stretch of land, where farmers are being encouraged to modernize their farm practices in growing plants and raising cattle.
The construction of Misilam Dam was completed in 2014 and the dam now serves as a big source of clean water to the inhabitants of forty five villages and three cities in the Southern region. Considering its natural beauty and the abundance of water, the area also has a potential to become a tourist attraction.
Historians say that, for centuries, Mount Misilam served as a place of rite for passage. Crown princes and noble men from across kingdoms would travel to this spot and climb atop the mountain for their coronation ceremony to be Negus. The tradition went on for so long that the name of kings who got their coronation there might be long; including the name of Bahri Negasi Isac, Negus of ‘Dobaruba’, in 1530s. Mount Misilam, which at some point was giving the people kings, is now showering them with water. And that’s fascinating.
____________
There may be a bad/lazy person, but there never is a bad land
Mr. Oqbay Tedla
Ruth Abraham
https://shabait.com/2020/09/19/there-ma ... a/#Eritrea
Q & A
On Sep 19, 2020
Mr. Oqbay Tedla, an exemplary farmer in Gash Barka region, owns a big farm that produces mainly vegetables and fruits. He has become a successful farmer with dauntless efforts and hard work. Unlike many who give up after a few attempts, Mr. Oqbay patiently turned the land that was given to him into fertile land. He has worked on it for over seven years now. Mr. Oqbay is also an outstanding environmentalist, known for his devotion to planting trees and conserving water and soil. He has so far received four awards for his hard work at his farmland and his devotion to afforestation.
Mr. Oqbay, thank you for being with us today.
You are most welcome; I should thank you for inviting me to this interview.
I have heard a lot about your accomplishments and it’s really amazing. I am sure our readers would also find it amazing. Mr. Oqbay, how did you get started and get here?
As you can see, the land is a demonstration of what it used to be because you can see the precincts and tell that it had an irregular landscape, too rugged to be a farm land. Originally, the land was mostly full of hillocks, steep slopes and rocks. It was a very demanding work to level it. But with sufficient manpower and machinery from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), we managed to tear the hillocks and fill the 3-4m deep trenches with soil.
The area around here, which has been used as grazing land, has been overgrazed. And the salinity of the soil was another obstacle because nothing can grow with scarce water and unhealthy soil. But, thanks to all the experts who assisted us in the field, we finally turned the place into rich fertile land.
How about your source of water?
We have built five wells and one dam. Since the landscape is characterized by slopes, all we needed was build a catchment to conserve water. This was initiated with the help of MoA both materially and technically. I also went to see the terraces around Tinqulhas in Anseba region and applied many of its technical formation to the slopes here. As soil and water are the most basic necessities of farming, it was after securing both of them that we started to cultivate.
How long did it take you to reach this stage?
Well, I have worked on fixing the land for over seven years. I never gained anything and had zero products for over seven years. You do not succeed if you are not persistent. Had I given up on the land in the first few years or even the last year, then I wouldn’t be here today. Seven years is not a short time. It takes a lot of effort to avoid feelings of hopelessness because we naturally tend to give up if we don’t make an immediate progress.
So far, what have you been able to grow?
Mustard, lettuce, millet, Lucerne (alfalfa),
As for the amount, we are growing plants as per the MoA estimation. For example, we have maximized our products to 130 quintals of tomato, 75 quintals of Swiss chard, and 85 quintals of lettuce. The other fruits and vegetables also seem very promising.
We are still figuring out if palms are suitable, and we have seedlings of various plants, such as mangoes, papayas, lemons, oranges and guavas. We have high expectations from the seedlings as well.
Which markets do you take your supplies to?
We cannot say we have reached far, but we supply many of the nearby villages and cities. Dase, Barentu, Haykota, Mogolo, and Asheshi are by far the centers where we sell our products.
I have heard about the rewards you have won; can you say something about it?
I have been awarded four times as a model farmer. In 2013, I was awarded for my work at my farm and then for working in soil and water conservation by planting around 10,000 trees. Then, in 2015 and 2016, I was awarded ‘model farmer awards’.
What role do you think the MoA played in your success?
The Ministry is very cooperative and encouraging. I was and I still am being assisted by all means, but I am particularly provided information on technical knowhow of the seedlings and identifying the nature of soil and water and best practices in utilizing them. The Ministry also gives me material assistance. I keep thinking that they are the ones that deserve the awards more than anyone else.
As an outstanding farmer who started from scratch and made it big, how much do you think you impact your fellow farmers, especially those in your neighborhood?
I try to openly assist anyone who seeks my help. There is this farmer in my neighborhood that has particularly captured my attention. I always watched him water his garden by carrying water from the river using jerry cans. His wife and daughter both worked hard with him; it was very encouraging. So, I once tipped him off about the village bank that lends money to farmers like us. He has done as I advised him and is now a successful farmer with his own water pump and a number of herds. Success stories like this are very pleasant to hear and empowering to me as it should be to anyone else.
What are your future plans, Mr. Oqbay?
I have very extensive plans. But generally I plan to work further, maximize my products and reap better results. Then I intend to expand my business into food processing and distributing fruit juice to our people by opening outlets. Finally, it is my dream to create green land where our herds are fed and water and soil conserved and put to good use. So, I will work harder and make sure our products go all over the country to satisfy our customers.
Anything you would like to say at last.
Most people nowadays give up easily, but I would like to remind everyone that unless you invest all that you have, you will not get the best result or maybe you will just fail. All I know is that if you work hard, you will reap the fruits of your toil. This fertile land you see now was barren, but it’s the opposite now. And for farmers like me, take my word for it, there may be a bad pers