Kefale Alemu on Visiting Wolaita (ወላይታ) and the Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia

This video presents Wolaita (ወላይታ) and the Great Rift Valley in the SNNR of Ethiopia. Wolaita is one the most densely populated areas in the Southern Nations and Nationalities Region. According to he area people the Name Wolayta derived from Wolaita language " Wolahita" which means "ድብልቅ" (in Amharic) and mixed (in English).

Wolaita is one of the lucky Awrajas (Districts) in Ethiopia during Emperor Haile Selassie's time because the Emperor had appointed not only well educated but also progressive governors who actually transformed the area considerably when we compare with other Awurajas (districts) at that particular time.

The elderlies admire and appreciate the first well educated and energetic governor of wolaita, Girmame Nuway and the second Dejazmach Woldesemayat for building Schools, Health Services and for modernising agriculture and constructing Roads. The area people recognise and categorise themselves in different clans Such as Wolayta Mala, Amara, Ezia, Kawo etc. The people mainly speak Wolata & Amharic. In 1991 when I carried out research work with the "Farmers Research Project" in the area the major crops according to their importance were: Enset, Maize and Sweet Potato. According to my recent discussion with the area people, my observation, and as you see this video it seems that Maize and Banana are dominating in most of the farmers' backyards and replacing Sweet Potato and Enset plants.

The area people reported that Sweet Potato Butterfly pest infestation which was the main problem of Sweet Potato Crop production in 1990s is no more important agricultural constraint today. The causes of the decline of Sweet Potato pest needs a piece of additional research work. However, the causes of the decline of the pest can be the effect of my research Work with the Farmers' Research Project (FRP) from 1991 to 1998 and the subsequent recommendations to the area farmers to plant Desmodium around Sweet Potato and other farmlands as a biological pest control Method by myself (Kefale Alemu). The other reason can be the decline of Sweet Potato farmlands or combined by all of the Above.


In this Video you will also see:

* The Eye Catching Damota Mountain (which I love very much and climbed 2 Times) and also drove a Land Rover car up on to the top of the Mountain and came back safely by trinity's miracle.
* The Rift Valley between Sidama and Wolaita
* River Bilate which flows to Lake Abaya
* Soddo Town which is the biggest in Wolaita
* My meeting with my friends and refreshments in Soddo
* Homesteads with Enset, Bananas, Maize, Sweet potato and other vegetables in Wolaita
* Town of Bodit (Wolaita)
* Town of Humbo (Wolaita)
* town of Bedessa (Wolaita)
* Town of Shone (in Hadiya)
Enjoy Wolaita Soddo and don't forget to subscribe, like and share. Thank you for watching and stay tuned to see more amazing videos on Ethiopia!