REST’s current operations cover a wide spectrum, from all aspects of emergency humanitarian assistance through poverty reduction activities focused on sustainable agricultural livelihood development and long term sustainable management of natural resources in the context of accelerating climate change. Health and educational programs recognize and support the crucial
role these services play in overall well-being and quality of life as well as in building up a healthy, educated, productive workforce who can shape a more prosperous, optimistic and confident future for the people of this region.
REST works in 34 of the most drought prone and impoverished rural woredas of Tigray, particularly in the central and eastern zones, with 18 woreda level field offices. While the main focus and aim of REST operations are long term reduction in rural poverty and sustainable economic development in Tigray, REST has developed a high level of expertise and operational capacity in disaster prevention and management, and plays a significant role in food assistance mobilisation and management. REST manages over 45 warehouses with a total capacity of 73,850 metric tons.
Over the past five years 19 standard warehouses were built with an average capacity of 10,000MT each. Construction of an additional 18 standard warehouses is also planned during the next five years. The range and scale of REST operations varies from woreda to woreda, reflecting different programmes developed with and supported by a range of international partners and donors. Since 2005 for instance, REST has been implementing the USAID
supported Productive Safety Net Programme on behalf of the Regional Government, expanding from six woredas during the first two phases of the programme to twelve woredas during phase three and the current phase four.
REST works with and is supported by a number of international NGO and other partners, some of whom have been supporting the people of Tigray through REST for over 40 years now. Whoever the supporting programme partner is, the range of REST programme activities and the way they are structured and implemented reflect an integrated, holistic approach and understanding of the complex, interrelated nature of socioeconomic development in Tigray, as per REST’s theory of change and strategy framework.