The GoE-UNEP/GEF project “Removing Barriers to Invasive Plants Management in Africa (RBIPMA)” organized a parthenium field day on October 19, 2008 at Welenchitti, Boset Woreda. The event drew in an overwhelming community participation and demonstrated coordinated intervention to create awareness about the weed and mobilize control efforts through the project.

The objective of the field day was to inform the community that efforts on parthenium control made by individual governmental and non-governmental organizations working in the area were being coordinated at woreda level and strong taskforce has been established. In addition, the event created a good opportunity to underline the key role of the surrounding community and other concerned bodies for the successful implementation of the program to parthenium control.

Ato Rezene Fessehaie, National Coordinator, RBIPMA project, briefed participants that the project has accomplished various activities to control parthenium. He explained that training on the control and management of parthenium, distribution of posters and brochures and awareness creation through organizing field days and using media were some of them. Ato Rezene underlined the need for coordination and sustainable effort for the successful control of the weed and acknowledged the participants and other stakeholders who took part in the implementation of the program.

Dr. Taye Tesema, Assistant National Project Coordinator, RBIMA urged that, in addition to other activities accomplished by the project for the sustainable control of parthenium, the efforts to bring governmental and non governmental organizations together to coordinate their activities against parthenium have been successful. According to Dr. Taye, Support Africa Christian Fund (CCF), World Vision, JICA project, other public institutions such as religious groups, local institutions like ‘edir’ and HIV associations and many others are working with the RBIPMA project. He also stressed on the need to mainstream parthenium control plans of the institutions in their major programs and allocate sufficient budget for the activity

Dr. Solomon Assefa, Director General of the Institute of Agricultural Research, in his concluding speech said that though the activities so far accomplished were satisfactory, more has to be done till parthenium is totally eradicated from the country. He also urged that every farmer has to work hand in hand with the project and free his farmland from parthenium weed. Dr Solomon finally promised to give all the necessary support for the effort made and acknowledged the contributions of all the participants.

In order to demonstrate the significance of coordination and unity in eradicating parthenium, about one hectare of farmland was cleared from parthenium by all participants. Moreover, more than 1500 farmers were involved in the event.