The village Rema is located approx. 140 km north of the capital city Addis Ababa in the region "Mida". The landscape is breathtakingly beautiful and is characterised by mighty canyons. The vegetation on the slopes and plateaux has suffered great damage in the course of deforestation and erosion and is greatly endangered.

90 per cent of the population live from agriculture which is characterised in this region by inconceivable hardship. In a normal year not enough grain can be harvested in order to put aside supplies for emergencies. Bad harvests due to a too short rainy season can therefore easily result in famine.

The people usually live on higher ground - on average 2,500 m above sea level - because malaria is prevalent in the valleys. In the valleys, however, there are not only the agricultural areas, but also the vital sources of water. In order to get to the valleys, the people have a descent of several hundred metres every day which can take them hours.

The people live in tukuls, small farmer huts which usually consist of one main room which serves as a living room and one or two separate smaller rooms which are used for supplies and sleeping. The kitchen is situated either in the main tukul or in a separate hut. The cooking is done over an open fire.