Tesfahun Fitamo, Hope for Ethiopia Permaculture Project

Training 1,000s of People in Permaculture & Syntropic Agroforestry Practices

This is Tesfahun Fitamo. Tesfahun in Amharic means “Be Hopeful.” Fitamo means “With Flower.” And, that he is. Tesfahun is a passionate Permaculturist, Syntropic Agroforestry* farmer, trainer of trainers, and CEO and Farm Manager of Hope for Community Permaculture Project in Shone, Ethiopia.

*Syntropic Agroforestry is challenging to boil down to one sentence. But, this article on WikiFarmer provides the basics. Practitioners are often referred to as “forest farmers” and their sites indeed look like forests. Syntropic Agroforestry integrates a variety of practices that mimic the natural cycles of nature, but helped along by an experienced human hand. Often, it is used to nurture previously unproductive sites, especially in semi-arid and arid climates, towards a state of abundance.

Tesfahun is a highly skilled farmer and a multi-credentialed trainer, which is quite an achievement for a young man of 33. After receiving his Bachelor’s of Science in Agricultural Engineering & Mechanization from Hawassa University in 2013, he went on to obtain a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) from Sector39 run by

Steven W Jones

in 2021, and received a certificate as a Trainer the Trainer (TOT) in Syntropic Agroforestry from

Roland

Van Reenen in 2023.

Tesfahun, far right.

True to his name, he brings hope - and lots of it - to communities at a large scale by training thousands of trainers in Permaculture and Syntropic Agroforestry. His achievements are well documented and several videos showcasing his own work or that of his trainees on his YouTube channel are educational and inspiring. As a result, he is teaching farmers to feed themselves, their families, their villages, and generate income. The further they move away from unproductive and pest-prone monocultures towards multi-stratafied “food forest” farms, the more likely they are to sustain themselves and the land through periods of drought and flooding.

Of all the videos I watched on Tesfahun’s YT channel, this was the one I felt drawn to share. The passion and proficiency shines through. But, it’s not just that. To hear him extol his love for the pigeons who are eating the cabbage leaves, as a sign that the soil and plants are healthy - is pure delight.

When asked what his goal is for the future, he thinks big: “I want to reach to the community with Permaculture and Syntropic Agroforestry Concept and Practical Work anywhere in the world.” This, from a man who has already trained thousands of trainers in Permaculture and Syntropic Agroforestry. At his age with all that he has already achieved, it appears he has a shot at his goal.

What does Tesfahun do when he is not changing the world? He shared his hobbies with me: “I like reading books and looking in social media about - Permaculture - Syntropic Agroforestry and - Environment.” Tesfahun is indeed a life-long learner.

Who Inspired You Tesfahun?

“The person who puts this interest in me to do this all is my father named Fitamo.” Fitamo, which means “With Flower” in Amharic, is 90 years old (80 years of age in this picture).

“When I was young he always tell for community how to use compost, and he said feed yourself with organic food. He used always compost on his garden and happy to do it. Then when I completed my secondary school I joined Hawassa University to learn my Degree in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization. So I have an interest to do it that what my father is doing things organically. Later I am graduated from this University after learning 5 years there.”

Where in the world is Tesfahun?

Tesfahun Deserves a Full Article…

…and it should be written by someone other than me! My RainMaker & ChangeMaker profiles are short and slim on substance, and intentionally so. They are part of a draw-a-picture-a-day challenge, specifically on an index card. And, they are part of my attempt to write somewhere near 1,000 words a day. There is no way I can do justice to Tesfahun, or any of the other individuals I have and will profile.

Tesfahun definitely deserves so much more than this short tribute. He is talented, generous, and visionary. I also know from our short but friendly conversations that he is most proud of being a loving father to his young daughter and a caring husband to his wife.

Tesfahun, while I may not be the right person to write an article about your work here on Substack, thank you for letting me draw you and bring a little bit of your work to life here.

Remember the pigeons!