Development Ratings

In the summer of 2008 in Somalia, 1,555 trucks delivered 9.3m litres of water to help 31,000 people affected by the drought. Three wells were repaired. 63,000 weakened animals were supplied with enough water to support them through a long dry season. This limited the outbreak of infectious diseases. Another project led to increased fodder production by over 90% over 3 years, to help support animals during lean times. Fifteen earth dams built by communities have helped to harvest an estimated 112,500m³ per year of rainwater, increasing water availability by 20%. A dairy development project built 13 village milk collection centres. 1,300 women have been trained in milk hygiene, processing and marketing. Milk containers that were previously ‘washed’ kerosene cans have been replaced with 1,478 aluminium churns as well as hygienic traditionally made containers. 210 families given a pair of dairy camels have seen their income rise by up to 3 times.

In Mozambique, CAHWs have been trained to vaccinate against Newcastle Disease in chickens. Farmer associations and 16 community vet pharmacies have been set up. Boreholes have been repaired. Livestock disease rates have been greatly reduced (by 50% in one area), helping to increase income by on average 15%, including for CAHWs and pharmacists. The number of chickens sold per breeder has risen by 25%.

In Tanzania, 10 livestock keeper groups have been formed and a link made with a fresh meat trader. 47 breeding bulls were distributed amongst the group, resulting in offspring with a faster growth rate than local breeds. Vaccination of over 221,000 animals and dipping has resulted in the calf mortality rate from tick-borne disease dropping from 30% to 5%. Maasai women now use donkey carts to collect water, increasing time for earning income. A project specifically for people living with HIV/AIDS has graduated members from a Farmer Field School to work in home gardens and local agricultural businesses to improve income and nutrition. Tanzanian Village Community Banks have mobilised over £76,000 with a 100% repayment record to date.

A small project in Kenya has trained local people living with HIV/AIDS in low-input agricultural skills such as deep ploughing, bee-keeping and tree nurseries. 38 oxen have been given to local families for ploughing, as well as 1,140 goats and 1,366 chickens. Eggs and the goats’ milk are used by the orphaned families.

The relatively high cost per direct beneficiary reflects the cost of distributing animals to families under most projects as well as the cost of training. In Somalia, in one project, 340 camels were distributed at a value of £200 each. It costs £45 to buy a bag of medicines for a ‘para-vet’ or CAHW, and £250 to train one. Indirect beneficiaries does not include pastoralists’ families outside the project benefitting from water supplies and the CAHW training, the consumers of the fresher, uninfected milk, and the boost to the local economy.