Addis Ababa, October 19, 2026 — The Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD) held an induction meeting for PENHA’s newly recruited Project Management Unit for the GEF-GLI project, marking an important step toward coordinated implementation.
This project is part of Ethiopia’s flagship Green Legacy Initiative (GLI), which combines large-scale ecological restoration, livelihood development, and green job creation.
EFD, implementing partners PENHA and CIFOR, and the project team reviewed the project’s objectives, expected results, and implementation priorities.
In a presentation, EFD Project Focal Person Yalemsew Adela outlined the project’s planned work across six woredas in three regions, including the restoration of 67,200 hectares of degraded land and forest areas. The project will benefit over 423,000 people and aims to ensure that women make up at least 50% of beneficiaries.
Participants discussed the importance of strong baseline assessments, appropriate site selection, clear performance indicators, and meaningful participation by women and local communities throughout the project cycle.
The meeting was attended by EFD Director General Ato Kebede Yimam, CIFOR’s Dr. Habtemariam Kassa, PENHA Regional Director Amsale Shibeshi, PENHA Country Representative Amare Merka, Project Coordinator Sileshi Temesgen, and project technical staff.
EFD has provided office space to support project operations and coordination among development initiatives. The induction established a shared understanding of priorities and laid the groundwork for effective, inclusive, and results-focused implementation.
