Hello friends, my name is Tesfahun Fitamo and together with my wife Tseganesh, we are raising our two beautiful daughters here in Ethiopia.

Our oldest is Ruhama (4.5 years old) and our youngest is Rehobot (8 months old).

My name “Tesfahun” in Amharic means “Be Hopeful,” and “Fitamo” means “With Flower.” These words are part of my identity and represent the hope I want to share with my community through regenerative farming.

I was born in the central part of Ethiopia in 1991 and grew up helping my father farm maize and teff. I have two elder sisters and two brothers—one older and one younger. Life was simple and close to the land, and most of my childhood was spent outdoors learning farming alongside my family. Our soils were fertile without chemicals, and from childhood I wanted to find ways to protect our land. That dream guided my studies and my work.

📚 My background

🎓 2013 – B.Sc. Agricultural Engineering (Hawassa University)

🌱 2021 – Permaculture Design Certificate (Sector39) with Steve Jones

🌳 2022 – Syntropic Agroforestry Training with Roland van Reenen

🌳 2023 – Trainer of Trainers (Syntropic Agroforestry)

🌾 2019–2022 – Permaculture Program Coordinator with a local NGO

Working in the NGO taught me how much traditional farmers are pushed toward chemicals, even though they once produced abundant harvests without them. After studying Permaculture and Syntropic Agroforestry, I understood that regenerative farming is the real solution for Ethiopia.

🌿 Hope for Ethiopia Permaculture Project

Today I train farmers, youth, and communities to grow food forests, plant water, build soil, and shift away from dependency. We are expanding from Shone into rural Ethiopia, including Lakole Burkito. Thousands of farmers have already benefited from our trainings.

With your support, we can:

expand community trainings
provide tools and seeds
support organic coffee growers
create food forests
help families become food secure

🌍 Why I believe in this work

My father, now 90, still farms organically using compost. He taught me that working with nature is the path to abundance. My purpose now is to share this knowledge across Ethiopia so families can grow food with dignity and resilience—without chemicals, debt, or hunger.

🌟 Please support our work

Your donation helps us continue trainings, plant more food forests, and support families who are building sustainable livelihoods.

Thank you so much for being part of this growing movement for Ethiopia.

With hope,

Tesfahun & family 💛🌿

🌱 Hope for Ethiopia Permaculture Project: Growing Abundance with Tesfahun & Tseganesh

Growing resilience, abundance, and food security across Ethiopia