PROJECT OVERVIEW

Project Goal

Protection of the pastoral communities’ livelihoods in Dambel District of Shiniile zones of the Somali Region (Ethiopia) improved.

Brief Overview

The completed Drought Recovery and Preparedness Project in Damberl district in Siti Zone of Somali Regional State. The project is funded by CIDA through Oxfam GB and implemented by UNISOD. The project was meant to protect the pastoralist livelihoods for the pastoral communities in Dambel District of Siti zone of the Somali Region.

PROJECT SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To enhance the ability of the communities/vulnerable households in the targeted areas of Dambel district to recover from previous
2. To improve the communities’ preparedness to mitigate the effects of and cope with future droughts.
3. To enhance livelihoods’ asset rebuilding for the drought-affected community members, and improve the capacity of livestock cooperatives to scale-up with commercial destocking activities

Project Outputs/Results

1. Increased community coping mechanisms and recovery through introduction of cash for work and capacity building

2. Rangeland rehabilitation and management enhanced through infrastructure development and revitalization of customary

PROJECT BENEFICIARIES

• A total of 5600 HHs direct project beneficiaries are benefitted by the project since this project is the extension of the CIDA appeal

KEY PROJECT ACTIVITIES ACCOMPLISHED UNDER EACH OUTPUTS/RESULTS

OUTPUT1: INCREASED COMMUNITY COPING MECHANISMS AND RECOVERY THROUGH INTRODUCTION OF CASH FOR WORK AND CAPACITY BUILDING

Rangeland Rehabilitation and Management of the 14hec of Communal land through Cash for work:

Target beneficiaries were selected after a through community meetings and discussions were held using PRA techniques. A total of 491 beneficiaries or partners of which male 269 are males and 222 are female were selected in Jiri sub-kebele of Gilisa Kebele of Dambel district. A total of 5 committee members (2 women and 3 men) were selected by the community with the help of the key stakeholders of the project for the management of the rehabilitated and enclosed 14hac communal land. The committee is fully mandated to represent the pastoral community in management all issues related to the enclosed land for rehabilitation purpose. Construction of contour bunds (soil/stone-faced graded bunds and pit holes for water conservation were established. Thorny and non-thorny dead branches were used for the fence of the enclosed land so that the do no harm approach to the environment is assured. Through the cash for work activities carried out for all key activities for the rangeland rehabilitation has positively increased daily food basked for the vulnerable community members that was affected by the previous droughts.

Gulley Erosion control for 1 square kilometer of the communal land through Cash for work:

A total of 261 selected members from the community in Haran sub-kebeles of Qaranley Kebele have participated in the cash for work activities. These drought-affected households were  thoroughly selected through proper selection mechanisms with full participation of all key project partners  including target community so that their daily food basket is met at household level. A total of Birr 163,529 was injected as cash for work for the selected households in exchange of the following activities carried out by the beneficiaries namely check dams, stone bunds and dead wood water diversions. A total of 392 check dams were created with average size of 0.75m up to 1.2m height and minimum 5m to 100m length. In addition, an additional 5 ha of bush were cleared in accordance to the request made by the District pastoral office and the Haran community. Cleared (cactus) bush were treated for the safety of the livestock, humans and growing Pasture.

Strengthening customary structures to protect or rehabilitate their rangeland including formulation of by-laws on the use of the rehabilitated rangelands

The community has acknowledged revitalizing some of the useful traditional rangeland management institutions such as customary institution. The project was also keen to support the process. With this respect, one customary institution was established which consist of a 50 selected community members selected by the concerned project target communities with the help of the implementing partner and its stakeholders. In order to enhance its effectiveness, an agreed constitution in the form of a bylaw was dictated and written down with the help of the project staff and concerned government field based offices.

OUTPUT 2: RANGELAND REHABILITATION AND MANAGEMENT ENHANCED THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND REVITALIZATION OF CUSTOMARY STRUCTURES

Infrastructure development (distribution line, generator house, water points and cattle Trough)

The infrastructure development was integral part of the drought management and rehabilitation process. Sites for the infrastructural development were selected by the concerned communities with the help of their administrations and district water desk. The borehole development is contracted to an external driller since it requires technical knowhow and capacity to drill and equip the borehole. The borehole is drilled and equipped fully and remains functional at the site of construction.

2.1. WASHCO training and Refresher trainings of community Artisans & pump operators

 Without equipping technically the WASH committees and pump operators, it will be difficult for the community to sustain the schemes constructed with the help of the project. Hence, WASHCO trainings for water infrastructure were designed to bridge the technical knowhow and the operation gaps. Hence, training was carried out for the WASH committees and pump operators. Refresher training for the 3 WASH committees was also carried out after some time so as to refresh their capacities and share experience related to the key issues, challenges and salutations sought. This was very useful in getting a genuine feedback from the various committees and beneficiaries since they had an initial exposure to the project deliverables within their own challenging environment and capacity.

The trainings were facilitated by a professional team consisted six expertise drawn from regional water bureau (2 expert), district water desk (2 expert), regional health centre in Dambel district (1 expert), and UNISOD staff (1 expert). 15 carefully selected water, hygiene and sanitation committees (9 men and 6 women) selected from the three target villages in Dambel district (Kebeles one and two of Dambel and Hindeysi kebele) were trained to enhance their knowledge and skills in managing and coordinating all issues related to the sector. The training has covered a range of topics that are pertinent to the needs of the target community so as to properly manage the WASH issues. Among others, concept of community participation, water supply management, the role of women on water supply management, water quality, hygiene and sanitation and basic financial administration were included. A special teams and  sub themes were prepared from each major topic and detailed discussions were carried out. A community training tools and techniques were applied during the various trainings so as to accommodate the local norms and cultural issues. Trainers are equipped with required training materials and tools including community participation and engagement such as PRA tools, presentations, group discussions, role play, poems, songs, debates, debriefings and recaps at the begging and end of the day.

A brief overview of the key issues discussed during the trainings is presented below;

Community Participation & Management of Rural Water Supply: Issues related to community responsibility and ownership sense on water supply schemes, BH, HDW/ponds impact on Environmental, Gender role in community participation and development and hygiene & sanitation of environmental especial latrines are presented in detail and discussed in groups and panels.

Sanitation & Hygiene: Community participation & management of rural water supply attendants of surface water supply schemes are designed and prepared a useful quick reference manual which can be of use for both community participation promoters and junior technician level operating in water supply and sanitation development as a field guide. Some of the key issues that have been discussed in detail in the field guide provide the necessary information related to hygiene and sanitation, water quality, water hygiene, water handing from source to sink, use of proper chemicals for water treatment, water  storage, personal hygiene and environmental.

Water Treatment: Water treatment is the process of removing all those substances whether biological, chemical or physical which are potentially, birka, Haffir dam or objectionable in the water supplies for humans & domestic use. Trainees were trained in issues related to the water treatment at various levels (facility, communal and household). In addition to the treatment, trainees were also provided necessary information related to the water related diseases such as water borne diseases (Cholera, Bacillary, Dysentery, Amebiosis), water washed diseases (Trachoma, scabisis, louse, borne fever ), water based diseases (bilharzias, guinea worm) and water related insect vectors (Malaria, sleeping sickness, etc). Their preventive strategies and treatment mechanisms were thoroughly discussed.

 

As conclusion, the trainings were appreciated by both concerned trainees and their respective pastoral communities. They have also requested similar kind of trainings to be facilitated in the same communities to further build the capacity of the selected committees to help their community and create the awareness needed to prevent the prevailing water, hygiene and sanitation related problems.

2.1. Construction of two institutional latrines

In pastoral centers, there are some promising towns where huge population dwells in addition to many rural pastoral communities visiting the district capitals to get government services and market. However, family owned latrines were not able to provide necessary services for the visitors and the poor town dwellers. Hence, the project was designed to provide two institutional latrines and hand washing facilities for both town dwellers and pastoral community. Hence, two latrines equipped with hand washing facilities were established. Each latrine has four seats, two showers and two hand washing facilities with separate entrances for males and females. The facilities are designed to serve 4000 direct and 8000 indirect beneficiaries.

Provision and procurement of donkeys & carts for 60 drought affected households:

Procured through one of the existing livestock cooperative supported by the project. 108 donkeys for (54 households, two donkeys per household) were procured and supplied. 120 Jeri cans have also been purchased and supplied together with the