# Presentation: 172153

## Pastoral association  presentation 

- February, 2007

## Background to Sool plateau food security projects

- Projects came as a results of long drought 2001-2004 that caused huge animal deaths in Sool plateau livelihood zone (LZ)
- CARE and VETAID were funded by EC to serve the 7 severely affected districts in Sool plateau

## About the 2 projects

- To address poor representation of pastoralists in decision making that affects them
- Because current clan system lacks mechanisms in tackling environmental degradation
- To raise awareness through PA to the target beneficiaries
- Both projects are using same methodology hence complementing each other

## District Pastoral Association (DPA) Rationale

- If pastoralist are organised into association, then they can manage their own problems.
- Vehicle of change
- Voice for pastoralist
- Enhance ownership and sustainability

## DPA Rationale Contd

- PAs will fully participate in projects delivery
- Interface with government and other external interventions, developmental and relief-oriented.
- Lead their development at their own pace ensuring inclusive participation—women and minorities.
- Indigenous knowledge built into project delivery and success.
- Target districts are Qardho, Eyl, Bandar beyla, Garowe, Dhahar, Taleh and Hudun.
- Gaps to be filled include Burtinle, Dangaroyo  and Iskushuban.
- Natural Resources Management policy development and implementation

## Approach & Methodology for DPA set up

- Members selected from main settlements of high livestock population density .
- Considered as semi-formal, governed by hierarchical structures of leadership   with consensus in reaching decisions.
- Membership expressed by district geo-clan with gender ratio of 2:5 of women and men respectively.

## Approach & methodology cont.

- DPAs made up of small manageable unit of 15-17 members with:
-  chairman,vice chairman and a secretary
- Rest of members divided into 4-5 sub-committees with specific roles:
- Livestock Health,
- Natural Resource Management,
- Social Service,
- Water, and
- Women’s Affairs.

## Livestock health

-  Selection of willing candidates to be trained as CAHWs
- Ensure sustainability through initiation of drugs supply cost-recovery system
- Assist linkage of the trained CAHWs with Vet Associations for technical backup.
- Oversee quality of the services and price setting for the drugs and other services

## Natural resource management

- Identification of grazing resource management through reactivation of the collapsed seasonal grazing reserves, demonstration reserves.
- Awareness raising on control of charcoal burning and tree cutting
- Decisions on formation of new settlements and water points for safety of rangeland and other resources.
- Curb proliferation of private enclosure and grass cutting
- Support and encourage fodder production
- Awareness raising on rational use of forest resources, conservation of biodiversity and wildlife
- Enforcement of customary laws on NRM
- Development of NRM policy

## Social services

**Education**
- Raise awareness and advocate for herders’ children to access education in the villages and towns around them
- Seek occupational trainings  and non formal education for the interested pastoralists
- Participation of village schools as pastoralists benefit alongside with villagers
- Participate in rural school teachers remuneration
**Health**
- Promotion of outreach health services for the benefit of pastoral communities
- Raising awareness of pastoral communities in the benefit of child immunization
- Report and early warn human diseases out break and related emergency situations

## Water

- Management of the main water sources to ensure supply of sufficient and clean water
- Raise funds in revolving basis for repairs and maintenance of water facilities.
- Ensure proper management of communal water sources
- Provision of guidelines on creation of new water sources in reference to migration, range use, and distance from next water point.

## Women Affairs sub-committee

- Ensure women participation in decision making
- Create awareness for men recognize women’s role in pastoral development
- Focus on women’s issues and specific priority needs

##  Cross cutting issues:

- Emergency preparedness and response
- Using indigenous knowledge, DPAs develop their own early warning systems in consultation with the contemporary drought early warning systems.
- DPAs built trust with external donor agencies involved in emergency responses
- Strengthen traditional coping options by promoting mechanisms that foster pastoralists normal transition from disaster to recovery
- Conflict Resolution
- Using customary conflict resolution mechanisms, DPAs develop capacity to predict and respond to possible pastoral conflicts

## DPAs link to traditional and governmental structure

- DPA’s TOR avoid duplication and build synergies with existing traditional and government structures
- DPAs  undertake wide awareness campaigns explaining their roles in pastoral development issues
- Lobbying for legal framework at the national level for their recognition

## Influencing Community Action Plans (CAP)

- Critically review community priority needs on regular basis
- Determine extent and prevalence of the need
- Decide among themselves actions  to be taken for tackling problem
- Seeking financial independence to fund/support priority activities

## Fund raising

- Community contribution (*Qaaraan*) – the practice is the attitude of people pulling together their resources for their development
- Direct appeal to well-off individuals, companies and Diaspora requesting financial support for a given cause in kind/cash
- Mobilise and manage community owned service structures i.e. selling water in community water facilities
- Seek funds from external donors

##  Essential success factors

- Awareness raising ( Radio programs, videos, exchange visits)
- Recognition and support from traditional and governmental structures
- Proof of added value for all stakeholders
- Feedback and support from stakeholders

## Recommendation

- External interventions in the sector should regard Pastoral Associations as important entry point for capacitating pastoral communities