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SUNARMA'S Background
SUNARMA (which stands for Sustainable Natural Resource Management Association), was started by a group of Ethiopians to assist the rural farming communities in their own country. SUNARMA was registered as an Ethiopian NGO in February 2001. It grew because of a need in the Wof - Washa forest area for assistance with environmental work. It was formed by a general assembly of 18 founding members. We have a board of 7 directors managed by an Executive Director. Its 18 founder members include senior ex-government staff with long experience of environmental programmes, directors and staff of both international and Ethiopian NGOs, university staff, freelance consultants and private business representatives. General Assembly membership has now risen to 25. Two members of the Degraded Land Reclamation Youth Project in Wof-Washa have also recently joined the General Assembly.
SUNARMA has many international friends, including a group in England who were invited to form a support organisation, SUNARMA UK.
SUNARMA UK is registered independently with the UK Charity Commission (No 1093680). It has its own board and structure and its sole function is to support SUNARMA in Ethiopia. It does this by offering technical input and ideas as well as assisting with fund raising. Its proximity to western donor organizations has also proved an advantage. Action Ethiopia is the fundraising arm of Sunarma Ethiopia.
SUNARMA's shared vision for rural people in Ethiopia is 'stable and productive communities living in a stable and productive environment's.
We have developed a distinctive approach of building and sustaining partnerships with rural communities in Ethiopia and gaining their commitment to reverse the environmental degradation that exists here in Ethiopia. Rural families in Ethiopia are under tremendous social and environmental pressure. Population increases and climate change have in many case had a catastrophic effect on the country side and people's livelihoods. Sunarma is working with them to build long term solutions to these problems.