Project Title:	Dairy goat restocking project
Project Holder:	Action For Development P.O. Box 19859 Addis Ababa Ethiopia Tel. 622326, Fax 625563 e-mail: afd@telecom.net.et
Project Location:	Diid Yabello and Colqassa-Dhadim PAs, Yabello wereda, Borana zone
Donors:	Various Private Sources & Action for Development
Duration:	One Month (initial Phase)
Starting date:	June 2000
Budget:	Birr 13,200 (Initial Phase)

Brief description of the project

The project pertains to the distribution of dairy goats to female-headed households whose livestock resources were decimated by the drought, with a view of enhancing their future food security. The main project activities pertain to the identification of needy beneficiaries, the purchase and distribution of goats, and the monitoring of project activities. While Action For Development (AFD) will meet the overall support costs of the project (approximately 10 percent of total costs), donations will be sought from private sources to cover the purchase of the dairy goats. The initial phase of the project will aim to assist 60 families providing two dairy goats per household. Subject to the success of this initial phase and availability of funds, the project will be expanded to meet the needs of additional drought-affected families in Borena. Project implementation will be the responsibility of AFD working in conjunction with the target communities, local authorities and funding partners.

1. The project holder –

The Holder of the project is an indigenous NGO, Action For Development (AFD) which implements a programme of integrated rural development with the objective of enhancing food security and sustainable livelihoods at the grassroots level. Among other places, AFD implements its programme in the Yabello Wereda of the Borana zone complementing community initiatives of self-development.

2. Project background and rational -

The project will be implemented in the Colqasa-Dhadim and Diid Yabello PAs of the Yabello Wereda, which is found in the Borana zone of the Oromia region, at a distance of 565 km to the south of Addis Ababa.

The project area has an arid climate characterized by the recurrence of drought. The current drought that struck the area depleted water and pasture resources entailing the decimation of livestock, the mainstay of the local agro-pastoral economy. Last year’s crop harvest was completely lost because of drought, which compounded the problem of nutritional deficiency and related human and livestock health hazards. The people, therefore, are currently getting relief assistance, albeit inadequate.

The project area used to be known for its high quality rangelands. Condition of pasture has, however, deteriorated due to bush encroachment and tick infestation. Livestock nutrition stress is very high during the dry season, entailing extra labor for women who are normally responsible for managing calves and cows. Small ruminants particularly goats, are considered advantageous in this regard, as they are better adapted to the local ecology.

The farming system of the area is mixed, the people being engaged partly in pastoralism and partly agro-pastoralism and farming. Levels of livestock and agricultural productivity, however, leave much to be desired due to a range of natural and social factors such as drought, pests and diseases, degredation of the environment, the inadequacy of infrastructure and services, overall marginalization, etc…

Social services such as water supply, health and education are not adequately developed. Although AFD and other development actors are making efforts to alleviate these problems, a lot more needs to be done.

The social division of labor that prevails in the project area subjects women to unbearable productive and reproductive responsibilities. Women are heavy laden, and subsist in conditions of squalor and vulnerability. Lack of entitlement, and stifling cultural practices subject them to a subordinate status both at home and in society. The problems of female heads of households are compounded. Hence, there is a need to raise their social and economic status, and to enhance their access and control over productive resources. One such means would be the distribution of multi-purpose small ruminants to resource poor and drought affected female heads of households for use as source of milk, breeding, and ultimate income generation.

3. Problems to be addressed -

The problems that will be addressed by the project pertain to food insecurity and the marginalization of women. Although the project doesn’t comprehensively address these problems it is expected that it will make a difference in the lives of the beneficiary households as regards the enhancement of their food security and the improvement of their social and economic status.

4. Project objectives -

The objectives of the project are to:

- Complement the food security of targeted female headed households;

- Restock the livestock resource base of the targeted female-headed households by distributing dairy goats.

5. Project activities -

The materialization of the above objectives presupposes the undertaking of the following activities:

1. Identification of beneficiary female headed households through community screening;

2. Purchase and distribution of goats (two goats for each household);

3. Follow-up and backstopping of the beneficiary households.

6. Project beneficiaries –

The primary beneficiaries for the initial phase of the project are 60 female-headed households found in the Diid Yabello and Colqassa Dhadim peasant associations. Including their household members the beneficiaries are estimated to be around 250 people. Their distribution is as follows:

Project beneficiaries (Initial Phase)
No.	Kebele	Households	Goats
1	Diid Yabello	38	76
2	Colqassa Dhadim	22	44
-	Total:	60	120

7. Project implementation -

The focal unit for the coordination and implementation of project activities will be AFD’s Borana Field Office based in Yabello, which undertakes the project in close cooperation with the beneficiaries and other stakeholders.

The identification of beneficiaries will be carried out by community organizations on the basis of levels of destitution, loss of livestock due to drought, limited alternative source of livelihood, etc… The goats to be purchased will be identified by the beneficiaries themselves and will be screened by veterinarians prior to their purchase, which will be carried out by a committee comprising of relevant stakeholders. As the beneficiaries are drought affected, the distribution will be free. Following completion of this initial phase and subject to the availability of funds, additional families will be identified for support. A revised budget will be prepared to reflect any continuation/expansion of the project.

8. Implementation schedule –

The project will be implemented as per the following schedule:

Project beneficiaries (Initial Phase)
No.	Activity	Unit	Qty	June
				1	2	3	4
1	Project approval	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Identification of beneficiaries	No.	60	-	-	-	-
3	Purchase & distribution of goats	No.	120	-	-	-	-
4	Backstopping & reporting	LS	-	-	-	-	-

9. Project monitoring -

The progress of the project will be monitored by AFD and, possibly, by donor partners and/or their delegates. As the long-term objectives of the project may not be attained during the life span of the the initial project phase, monitoring will focus on the progress of project implementation. Appropriate indicators for these will be developed in consultation with stakeholders. Among other things, AFD will submit progress reports to contributors through its partners. The reports will be backed up with photographs and, possibly, video films. Partners may consider conducting an evaluation of the project at their own cost.

10. Risks and assumptions -

No major risks are envisaged at the moment. It is, assumed that coming rains will be favourable and that the goats will be obtained form the local market at reasonable price.

11. Sustainability -

The fact that the proposed project is need based is the primary ground for ensuring sustainability. The rearing of goats is a common practice in the project area. Moreover, the management of goats by women is in congruence with the local social division of labor. As proved by repeated cycles of drought, goats are better adapted than other animals to the deteriorating local ecology. No external inputs or sophisticated technology will be deployed. It is, therefore, believed that the project is inherently sustainable.

12. Project inputs –

For the planned initial phase, it is estimated that the project will cost Birr 13,200, out of which Birr 12,000 will be covered through private donor contributions, and the rest by AFD. The breakdown is as follows:

No.	Description	Budget (Birr)	Source
			Donor	AFD
1	Purchase of goats (120xBirr100)	12,000.00	12,000.00	-
2	General operating expenses (10%) market assessment, follow-up, reporting, coordination, etc..)	1,200.00	-	1,200.00
-	Total	13,200.00	12,000.00	1,200.00