Siiqqee women's Development - SWDA

24/04/2026

Supporting forest-dependent communities to sustainably manage their ecosystems is a powerful pathway to both climate change mitigation and resilience building in Ethiopia. By promoting participatory forest management (PFM), communities are not only conserving forests but also rehabilitating degraded communal and farmlands through inclusive, locally driven approaches.

In Goro Jarso kebele of Buno Bedele zone, Oromia Regional State, forest-dependent households once relied heavily on logging, charcoal production, and firewood collection due to limited livelihood options. Since March 2024, the launch of the “Forest for Life” project, funded by DAA via Bread Austria, has led to a remarkable transformation. With 70% women and persons with disabilities (PwDs) actively involved, the community has organized itself and embraced diversified, sustainable income-generating activities.

Today, they are engaging in small-scale irrigation, beekeeping, and agroforestry practices such as banana intercropping, reducing pressure on forests while improving household incomes and food security.

This shift demonstrates that when communities are empowered with the right support and inclusive opportunities, they become stewards of both their environment and their future.

Gelalcha Negassa
SWDA Program Manager

21/04/2026

📸 Highlights from the Session

The event brought together key stakeholders, including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), religious leaders and institutions, government development enterprises, private sector actors, and financial institutions to engage in meaningful dialogue on:
✨ Innovative strategies for domestic and local resource mobilization, with a focus on sustainable, community-driven approaches.
✨ The role of cultural and traditional values in shaping modern philanthropy, and how these can be leveraged to strengthen local giving practices.
✨ Policy and institutional frameworks that promote local giving for local needs, ensuring long-term impact and ownership.
The session reinforced the importance of collective responsibility and collaboration in strengthening locally led development.
Let us continue to invest in ourselves, for ourselves, building sustainable solutions rooted in our own communities.

21/04/2026

🌍 Strengthening Communities from Within!
We are excited to share highlights from our recent initiative on Local Resource Mobilization through Local Philanthropies, organized by the Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO) in proud collaboration with Siiqqee Women’s Development Association (SWDA).

💡 Why Local Philanthropy Matters
Local philanthropy ensures sustainability by reducing reliance on international aid, offering contextual solutions from local donors, shifting the narrative from "beneficiary" to "investor," and building accountability.

🤝 A Collaborative Vision
This collaboration aligns regulatory support with grassroots expertise to create a robust environment for civil society. The session discussed domestic resource mobilization strategies, traditional values in philanthropy, and supportive policy frameworks.

"True development is when a community looks inward for the tools to build its future."

Invest in ourselves.

14/04/2026

"Beekeeping is a transformative enterprise, and we are fully committed to expanding our success," says group leader Fatuma Defar.

This project proves that with the right resources and training, women can break through any stereotype to achieve financial independence.

Join us in celebrating these incredible changemakers! 🌍💪

11/04/2026

እንኳን ለብርሃነ ትንሳኤው በሰላም አደረሳችሁ! ✨

ትንሳኤ የድል፣ የለውጥና የአዲስ ተስፋ ምልክት ነው። ሴቄ ውመንስ ዴቨለፕመንት አሶሲዬሽን (SWDA) በመላው ዓለም ለሚገኙ የክርስትና እምነት ተከታዮች፣ ለክቡራን አጋሮቻችንና ለለጋሾቻችን እንኳን አደረሳችሁ ይላል።

ሴቄ ውመንስ ዴቨለፕመንት አሶሲዬሽን (SWDA) በሥራችን አማካኝነት በሕብረተሰቡ ውስጥ አዎንታዊ ለውጥ እንዲመጣና የተሻለ ዓለም እንድትፈጠር እንሰራለን። ይህ በዓል ሰዎች እርስ በእርስ የምንተጋገዝበት፣ ለውጥን የምንቀበልበትና ለተሻለ ነገ የምንተጋበት እንዲሆንልን እንመኛለን።

መልካም በዓል! 🌿

✨As we celebrate this joyful season of Easter, a time of renewal, hope, and new beginnings, Siiqqee Women's Development Association (SWDA) extends its warmest wishes to all our partners, communities, and followers.
Easter reminds us of the power of transformation and the promise of a brighter future.

Happy Easter! 🌿

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

🌟 SWDA: Standing with Communities in Times of Crisis 🌟

For over a decade, Siiqqee Women’s Development Association (SWDA) has been delivering life-saving humanitarian support across Oromia and beyond. From flood relief in 2014, to empowering displaced women in 2021, to supporting families affected by conflict in 2023 — our mission has always been clear: restore dignity, rebuild livelihoods, and strengthen resilience.

💡 Today, we are scaling up our Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE) project with UNICEF Ethiopia, reaching over 11,790 direct beneficiaries in East and Kelem Wollega Zones.

👉 Together, we can protect women, children, and vulnerable groups while building stronger, safer communities.

📌 Learn more about our humanitarian commitment and join us in making a difference.

02/04/2026

29 Years of Empowerment. ✊🇪🇹

For nearly three decades, SWDA has been on the front lines of social and economic change in Ethiopia. We started with a vision that poor and vulnerable women could control their own futures—and today, we see that vision becoming a reality every day.

From our new head office in Addis Ababa to the rural districts of Oromia, our commitment to dignity and equality remains unshakable.

Stand with us. Support SWDA.

📍 Visit us in Addis Ababa- Jemo-1 condominium, behind All Mart supermarket
📞 +251-911-405-509
🌐 https://siiqqee.org/

24/03/2026

🌟 The SWDA Annual General Assembly was successfully held at AYA Hotel! 🌟

The meeting opened with a warm welcome, board and progress reports for 2025, followed by teatime and continued discussions. Key highlights included:
✅ Endorsement of the Progress Report
✅ Approval of the 2025 Audit Report
✅ Presentation of the 2026 Annual Operational Plan
✅ Discussion on opening offices abroad
✅ Approval of new member applications
✅ Election of new board members

👏 A productive gathering that sets the stage for an exciting year ahead!

21/03/2026

Siiqqee Women's Development Association Annual General Assembly meeting.

09/12/2025

Exciting Partnership Opportunity!

Siiqqee Women’s Development Association (SWDA) has been standing with women and girls in Ethiopia since 1997 fighting for gender equality, education, and safety from violence, economic independence, climate resilience, and peace.
We are ready to serve as the experienced in-country implementing partner in Ethiopia and are looking for a lead or support applicant based in the Netherlands to jointly submit a strong proposal under the FemFocus framework.
If your organization shares our vision of gender equality and wants to create transformative impact alongside a trusted, community-rooted Ethiopian women’s rights organization, we’d love to explore collaboration with you.
We bring 27+ years of on-the-ground experience and deep community trust. You bring the eligibility to lead the application. Together, we can create real, lasting change for Ethiopian women and girls.
Want to join forces and make a difference?
For more information please visit our website: www.siiqqee.org

Check out the call here:
https://www.government.nl/binaries/government/documenten/policy-notes/2025/10/21/grant-policy-framework-femfocus-2026-2030/Grant+policy+framework+FemFocus+%282026+-+2030%29.pdf

https://www.government.nl/topics/grant-programmes/documents/policy-notes/2025/10/21/grant-policy-framework-femfocus-2026-2030