YeZeRe meaning “today” in Amharic provides weather (with agro advisory) and market information for smallholder farmers through mobile system. Working on the agriculture sector, Echnoserve recognized the gap and challenges on market and weather data and building upon our experience of developing an IT application, we invested in development of a simplified information dissemination system and an IT platform to manage large set of data. To develop YeZaRe app, Echnoserve conducted preliminary assessment on the current climate information dissemination channel as well as market information. Using agile software development system, Echnoserve team developed system requirements including information flow chart, then an IT application which was tested and then shown to different stakeholders, cooperatives, unions, farmers, development agents and local NGOS, to get feedback. Based on the feedback, further adjustments were made to the system.
Echnoserve is an innovative social enterprise located in Ethiopia and the US. The company was established in 2010 by diaspora members who had experience in international organizations, NGOs, private sector and academic institution. Echnoserve works at the interface of environment, agriculture, climate change renewable energy and ICT solutions. Our work includes delivering innovating solutions through action researches and designing a system to interpret and implement proposed actions through user-friendly IT applications. We have experience in developing web-based systems frameworks for various sectors, as well as delivering hands on training to system users and administrators. Echnoserve also has observer status of the Green Climate Fund.