LIVELIHOODS SUPPORT PROJECT FOR SOMALI COMMUNITIES IN PUNTLAND: RESTOCKING OF GOATS
Distrbution of Goats Ceremony which was opened offecially by the Governor of Puntland
and covered by the Somali Media
The distribution of the goats was conducted in a very successful ceremony attended by the deputy minister of livestock, the Governor of the region and other dignitaries. It was covered by all the local media, both on radio and television. All the 100 beneficiaries were at hand to receive their goats, and one could tell their joy from their faces.
Background
The long and protracted conflict in Somalia has had devastating effect on the livelihoods of the vulnerable populations in Somalia. Coupled with the harsh drought that followed, the impact of the humanitarian crises has been massive, and has been felt most by the poor pastoralists who have less than 50 heads of sheep and goat and less than two pack animals. This called for targeted intervention to reduce the impact of these effects so that they do not fall out of their pastoralist system and become destitute, having lost their only means of earning a living. This was the background behind which VSF-Germany proposed to undertake the “Livelihoods Support Project for Somali Communities in Puntland: Restocking of Goats” Project.
In Mudug the severity of the crisis as been deepening since Gu 2008 as reported by FSNAU Post Gu Analysis, 65% of the population is affected by and the number of people in Humanitarian Emergency is constantly increasing.
Methodology
Restocking with goats is a way to give people who lost their livelihoods a chance to rebuild their source of income. Milk can be consumed and can be sold as well. For parents with children it is a way to contribute to a balanced diet as milk is for pastoralist communities a staple food and in dry lands often the sole source for vitamin C. As an added benefit, the host community would benefit by selling 500 goats to the project, which would be a cash injection of up to $25,000 into the local pastoral economy. The net effect of the project would be an added benefit of acceptability of the project amongst the pastoralists, and therefore a solid ground on which to base future interventions.
The specific objectives:
o Increase food security through livestock assets accumulation (goat distribution).
o Increase the capacity building of beneficiaries through livestock training.
o Increase nutrition of vulnerable community members through goat milk’s consumption.
Achievements and Results:
- Prepare and create awareness among the communities for better understanding of the benefits in the restocking Programme through dialogue and stakeholder meetings.
- Establishment of Beneficiary committee, who participated on purchase of Goats with the project staff
- Formation of community committees, formulation of selection criteria for vulnerable households.
- Several project materials were developed for various purposes, as follows:
Ø The various contract agreements
Ø Beneficiary Identification Card (BIC)
Ø Restocking Monitoring Booklet (RMB) Training materials
- Baseline survey on livestock markets in Garowe and surrounding villages were least suitable for purchasing the desired goats, which as they were too old for reproduction. The important of the assessment is to allow the project to avoid the market middle men, who were bound to hike the price of the goats. It informed the project to purchase goats directly from the pastoralists, who were also secondary target beneficiaries for this project.
- Distribution of Goats to the Beneficiaries in official Ceremony attended by the Government of Puntland.
