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| Project Name: | The Southern Tier Initiative Livelihood Enhancement for Agro-Pastoralists and Pastoralists (STI LEAP) |
| Project Description: |
| IR1: Opportunities for Income Generation of Pastoralists and Agro-Pastoralists IncreasedF1. Increased Market Assess for Pastoralists and Agro-PastoralistsACDI/VOCA, through LEAP, will engage in the following activities in order to increase market access.Activity 1: Train CPO staff to organize, register and support cooperatives and associations.Activity 2: Evaluate and restructure existing service and producer cooperatives.Activity 3: Organize new marketing associations and cooperatives. Activity 4: Organize new service cooperatives to supply inputs, consumer goods and services. Activity 5: Train cooperative members and leaders in basic business skills and cooperative management. Activity 6: Disseminate LMA market information through livestock producer and trader associations. Activity 7: Conduct a study tour to Kenya Marsabit traders association for Ethiopian traders, association members and CPO staff. Activity 8: Conduct local study tours to highland cooperatives, livestock marketing and processing businesses, and government institutions. Activity 9: Link cooperatives and associations to banking services through the existing loan guarantee fund.F2. Increased Access to Rural Finance ProductsFor the past three years, ACDI/VOCA has been working with CPOs in Ethiopia to promote and organize the first formal Saving and Credit Cooperatives (SCCs). These fourteen newly formed SCCs have successfully accumulated member savings and are already making loans to members that support improvements in farm businesses and diversified income activities. All of the SCCs formed all have a perfect loan recovery record. This experience has demonstrated that member-financed Saving and Credit institutions in Ethiopia can supply rural financial products that are appropriate for local needs and conditions. It also demonstrates that with adequate training and support, rural entrepreneurs and businesses can participate effectively in commercial credit operations, borrowing at market rates and meeting loan contract obligations. This experience as well as those of GL-CRSP in Borena Zone and K-rep in Kenya will be used as the basis for developing appropriate rural finance training, organizations and products for target communities.Activity 1: Train line bureaus’ staff responsible for promoting, supporting and regulating Saving and Credit Cooperatives. Activity 2: Provide training and technical assistance to existing non-formal saving and credit groups. Activity 3: Organize formal, community-based saving and credit cooperatives. Activity 4: Train members of saving and credit organizations.Activity 5: Promote linkages with banks and MFIs.F3. Private Community-Based Animal Health Services Delivery Established and SustainedOver the last five years, SC/US and CARE have been working with Southern Rangeland Development Unit (SORDU) in Borena Zone and Zonal Agriculture Development Department (ZADD) in Liben Zone to train CAHWs throughout Liben, Filtu, Dollo Ado, and Dollo Bay Woredas. CARE has, during the past year begun training CAHWs in Yabello and Dire Woredas. During this time, the government has made several changes in the way it views the delivery of animal health services. Recent legislation calling for privatization of all animal health services has called into question the roles, responsibilities and required capacities of all players. SC/US and CARE, through their experience have determined that sustainability of animal health services will be achieved only if cost recovery strategies are employed by all CAHWs. Training must be sufficiently comprehensive to ensure effective animal health care delivery at the community level and to ensure adequate capacity on the part of all CAHWs to understand both the technical and business aspects of providing animal health services. SC/US will implement activities in Hargelle, Cheriti, El Kare, Bare, Dollo Ado, and Dollo Bay and will subgrant the animal health activities to Lay Volunteers International Association (LVIA) in Moyale. CARE will implement these activities in Yabello, Dire and Teltele Woredas of Borena Zone.Activity 1: Provide new and refresher training for Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs).Activity 2: Organize CAHW Associations.Activity 3: Establish revolving funds for vaccination campaigns.Activity 4: Conduct awareness creation sessions on private vet services. Activity 5: Provide logistical and organizational support for annual vaccination campaigns.Activity 6: Train CAHW association members and leaders in business and association management. Activity 7: Conduct animal disease survey to program, strategize and forecast interventions. Activity 8: Conduct training needs assessment of line bureau staff and train to monitor, regulate and support CAHWs. Activity 9: Conduct local study tours for CAHWs, community elders and line bureau staff. Activity 10: Organize experience-sharing forums.F4. Access to Diversified Income and Livelihood Activities Increased.For pastoralist families diversified income activities are crucial to maintaining family income over the course of the production year. In order to ensure adequate resources to meet individual and family needs, ACDI/VOCA is working with agro-pastoralists to identify non-farm activities that can fill the gap. The strategy focuses on capacity building of SCC and Cooperative members to plan and implement small-scale business activities utilizing available credit services.Activity 1: Evaluate existing and/or new, high-potential non-livestock income and livelihood activities.Activity 2: Train CPOs and other appropriate line bureau staff to provide training and technical assistance to small-scale entrepreneurs. IR2: Improved Health and Nutritional Status Among FamiliesF5. Improved Access to Primary Health Care ServicesAlong with improvements in access and quality to basic health care, LEAP activities will focus on creating community wide awareness on health issues, and change key determinant behaviors and practices to promote family planning and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Activity 1: Conduct orientation for line bureau health staff. Regional, zonal and Woreda staff will participate in an orientation on the proposed human health activities of the LEAP project.Activity 2: Conduct baseline “Access to PHC†and Health Facilities Surveys.Activity 3: Mobilization and Formation of Health Action Committees (HACs).Activity 4: Training of Community Health Workers (CHWs).Activity 5: Rehabilitation of existing targeted health facilities.Activity 6: Training of nurses, auxiliary nurses and primary health care workers.Activity 7: Support and promotion of EPI. F6. Increased Adoption of HIV/AIDS Preventative PracticesActivity 1: Develop BCC strategy.Activity 2: Form school-based anti-AIDS clubs.Activity 3: Conduct Woreda level workshops on AIDS control and prevention for hotel/bar association owners.Activity 4: Form peer-based networks.Activity 5: Pilot HIV/AIDS care and support programs in targeted areas.F7. Increased Family Planning and Safe Motherhood Practices in Targeted Areas.Activity 1: Establish link with DKT, Pathfinder, and others to ensure provision of contraceptives at Woreda level.Activity 2: Community mobilization and awareness raising on child spacing.Activity 3: Train CHWs in safe motherhood practices including home-based life saving skills.Activity 4: Train and support community-based distributors.F8. Increased Adoption of Positive Nutritional PracticesActivity 1: Conduct positive deviance study on nutritional practices. Activity 2: Conduct maternal and child nutrition education.Activity 3: Form and support breastfeeding support groups.IR3: Access to Appropriate Alternative Basic Education IncreasedF9. Alternative Basic Education Opportunities Developed and UtilizedThe conventional school system has many elements that are inappropriate in addressing basic education needs of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. These factors have made it very difficult to improve access, utilization and quality of basic education. Further, the system has created inequities within the system and at times has marginalized the community from management and ownership of their education. In addition to these critical limitations, formal education is not able to always reflect the needs of pastoralist communities. Static formal schools are few and far between and are not able to adapt to the mobility requirements of the pastoralist lifestyle. Of the few pastoralist children who are enrolled in formal education, significant numbers of children and/or adults migrate during dry months (December – March) to move with their herds in search of water and pasture. The conventional school system has no provision for re-entering students who were not able to maintain consistent attendance during the school year. The LEAP project will build upon the current Pastoralist Education Project, BESO II and Educational Development Center’s Radio Education initiative – all funded by USAID, to establish non-formal community schools for children and youth, and increase the number of adult literacy centers for pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in the Somali and Oromia Regions. The activities will reflect the appropriateness of schooling to socio-cultural realities of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists while responding to problems of girls’ education, school distance, and community decision-making in education. SC/US and CARE will collaborate closely with other NGOs who may be working in education in the same area (such as GOAL and AFD in Teltele and Yabello Woredas of Borena) to avoid duplication of efforts and an integrated, consistent approach to education is implemented. During the detailed planning process, CARE will discuss with GOAL and AFD to review the possibility of working with GOAL in Teltele.Activity 1: Conduct orientation for line bureau staff including training needs assessment. Activity 2: Establish non-formal basic education centers for out-of-school children, youth, and adults. Activity 3: Establish mobile/alternative school centers.Activity 4: Train education line bureau staff.Activity 5: Collaborate with Educational Development Center Radio Education Program. F10: Introduce/Enhance Learner-Centered Instructions.Activity 1: Develop localized curriculum and relevant learning materials.Activity 2: Provide pre- and in-service teacher training.Activity 3: Establish continuous teacher support system and strengthen school supervision.Activity 4: Strengthen school data collection and analysis systems.F11. Community Participation in School Management Increased and StrengthenedActivity 1: Provide school management training to SMCs.Activity 2: Conduct experience sharing events among SMCs.F12. Establishment of Girl and Women Friendly School EnvironmentsActivity 1: Conduct awareness raising on the need for girls and women’s education.Activity 2: Establish gender parity advisory committees.Activity 3: Produce IEC/BCC materials on harmful traditions and current social issues.IR4: Increased Cooperation and Collaboration Among Government and Local Institutions in Support of Successful Dispute resolutionF13. Good Governance Knowledge and Practices Increased in Targeted CommunitiesResource constraints faced by pastoralists in the Southern Tier of Ethiopia – particularly the Borena and Somali – continues to stress already fragile relationships between the different tribes. When coupled with political considerations that aim to set territorial boundaries and tort legal frameworks for resource management, flashpoint conflict erupts and further increases the vulnerability of these groups though displacement, trauma, and instability. Traditional mechanisms including the Guurti in Somali Region and the Madda in Oromia are increasingly under pressure to broker peace by both the formal government structure and the communities affected. The LEAP project believes that capacity building of formal and non-formal conflict mitigation mechanisms will result in an increase in good governance practices and a strengthening of traditional dispute resolution entities. This will in-turn create an enabling environment for development and further form a foundation for sustainable peace in the target areas. Through program experience in both Somali and Oromia Regions, SC/US has realized that to successfully build the capacity of traditional dispute mechanisms a two-tiered track of activity must be utilized. Simultaneous to working with traditional structures such as the Madda in Borena Zone and the Guurti in Somali Region, respectively, a concurrent effort must be made with formal structures to ensure transparency and build trust. SC/US refers to the first strategy as “Community Capacity Building for Development†with the focus on strengthening community based conflict awareness and mitigation mechanisms. This activity cluster builds awareness at the community level about conflict flashpoints and promotes indigenous mechanisms as alternatives to violent confrontation. The second, and complimentary strategy is one of Administrative Capacity Building. Through this effort, SC/US builds the capacity of formal dispute reconciliation mechanisms in the target areas. This involves direct capacity building of government bodies – including Woreda administration, police, Guurti and other decision-making entities. The capacity building is geared toward good governance knowledge, attitudes and practice. This formal structure support directly compliments the non-formal efforts of Strategy One. These activities are necessary due to the fact that few of the persons currently filling official positions have any legal framework understanding for completing their job duties. SC/US proposes to work with these officials to increase legal literacy with the expected output being better governance. Through current USAID funded programs, SC/US has developed training manuals for both the community and administrative officials toward increased awareness of traditional dispute mechanisms as well as good governance practices. SC/US will take overall responsibility for the implementation strategy of these core activities but feels that a local anchor to the process needs to be established for program sustainability. As such, an agreement with the Dr. Getachu Kassa of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University has been reached to spearhead the research that will consistently inform the planning process. Further, a partnership with the Research Center for Civic and Human Rights Education†(RCCHE) will be utilized to implement this core activity center.The strategy outlined above forms the core of program intervention frameworks for the LEAP Project. Through a simultaneous effort to support both formal and non-formal conflict mitigation channels, SC/US feels that an overall reduction in violence as a means of resolving disputes will be achieved. Activity 1: Conduct governance workshop.Activity 2: Conduct legal literacy seminars with community leaders. Activity 3: Awareness-raising session on women’s participation.F14. Capacity of Community-based Dispute Resolution Mechanisms Increased.Activity 1: Conduct leadership and management skills training for Guurti/Madda members.Activity 2: Develop a master inventory of natural resources in target areas.Activity 3: Conduct workshop on land and water resource management. |
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