Enabling community-led development

Semu Robi Community Development Project

Semu Robi is a remote district in Ethiopia's arid Afar region. Predominantly pastoralist communities living in the area struggle to earn a living from rearing camels and goats. The frequent droughts wreak havoc - reducing viable grazing ground and access to water, which in turn leads to conflict over scarce grazing areas and water points. Livestock markets are many days travel away, which make it very difficult to sell any livestock for money to buy food. Poverty rates are high and many people are dependent on food aid to survive. Just a handful of organisations are providing support to communities in this inhospitable location.

FARM-Africa is one of the few organisations working with local people to reduce poverty in Semu Robi.

How are communities benefiting?

Communities are empowered to take charge of the development of their area.

• FARM-Africa is helping communities to map their resources, identify their needs and the best solutions to them.
• Communities are then given support to set up groups to plan and manage the development of their local area. The groups manage a fund of money and decide on development priorities. Community members are working together with local government staff. They are focusing on reducing vulnerability to drought and increasing incomes.
• Community members have access to credit to set up small business such as buying and selling local commodities and to buy pumps for small-scale irrigation.
• Improved access to local, affordable basic veterinary care to keep animals healthy so that they are worth more at market and produce more nutritious milk.  The Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) trained by FARM-Africa to provide this service are able to earn money by charging a small fee to treat their neighbours animals.
• We're using the project to develop a model of good-practice that we can share with local governments and other NGOs, so that many more communities can benefit from our learning and adopt the new practices.

Who are we helping?

The project will directly benefit 4,169 people.  Around 60,000 people will benefit from the availability of local, good quality animal healthcare from the Community Animal Health Workers.

Project partners

FARM-Africa is working together with the regional government bureau, the Kebele and Woreda administration, sector offices, Pastoral Development Committees, GOAL and Mercy Corps.

Enabling community-led development

Semu Robi Community Development Project

Pastoralists living in Afar are struggling to make a living. Drought, land degradation and poor infrastructure hamper their efforts to rear and sell livestock. FARM-Africa is working with communities to find additional ways for communities in this area to generate income and reduce their reliance on food aid.

Woleo's story

Like almost every family in the area, Woleo and his family depended on just a few livestock to survive. Frequent droughts and a shortage of fodder and grazing land made rearing livestock to sell and buy food almost impossible. Even when Woleo was able to raise animals to sell, he couldn't achieve a good price for them because of a lack of local markets.

FARM-Africa worked with Woleo's community, helping them set up an agricultural group. As part of the group Woleo received training in crop cultivation, weeding, ploughing and harvesting, as well as some seeds. He gained the skills, tools and confidence he needs to effectively farm his plot of land.

Woleo's group received a grant from FARM-Africa, which they used to buy some ploughing oxen. Like other members, Woleo borrows the oxen to work his land. With his newfound expertise Woleo has already harvested enough beans and maize to feed his family (and some relatives and neighbours!) for three months.

Now, his family has plenty to eat and is thriving. Woleo is self-sufficient with his farming and he hasn't needed to sell any goats so he is starting to build up his herd once again.

In his own words

Now that Woleo isn't reliant on his livestock to survive, he has more security. He says, "I proved that if we Afar people get the opportunity we can cultivate our land like our farmer neighbours and can have an alternative livelihood. If I had not joined this group I would have been forced to sell some of my animals to buy food items for my family."

Working Papers

14. Scaling-up Success - FARM-Africa\'s new strategy for development
Adobe PDF - 444kb