USAID Director Glenn Anders Visits Pastoralist Community in Oromia State (10/18)
USAID interventions help community survive drought

October 18, 2006
No. 37/06

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) -- USAID Mission Director Glenn Anders paid a visit on October 13, 2006 to the pastoral community of Tuka in Borena Zone, Oromia State.  Twelve elders of the local Borena group, along with the head of the local administration, discussed the condition of the pastoralist community in the area.  The elders began by thanking Mr. Anders for the support of the people of the United States they received during the drought that occurred earlier in 2006. 

USAID’s unique intervention, through the Italian-based NGO, Lay Volunteers International Association (LVIA), provided improved cattle fodder to the community. One cow per family was fed using nutritious feed, including molasses brought in from the city of Nazareth, more than 600 kilometers away.  Although other animals died, these cows all survived the terrible drought. USAID interventions, including emergency animal vaccinations, and support for traders to come from Addis Ababa to purchase cattle before they died from the drought, helped this local community to survive better than they ever have before.

 “Without the help that we received from local NGOs supported by USAID, our community would never have survived the terrible drought last spring,” said Dida Dabaso, one of the elders.  For his part, Mr. Anders told the group that, “the U.S. Government considers our efforts in the pastoralist areas of Ethiopia to be extremely important.  While there is more work to be done to develop long lasting solutions to the problems caused by recurring droughts, we are happy that we were able to intervene in time and with a program that responded appropriately and quickly to the needs of the people of Tuka.” 

The Tuka support was one small example of the many emergency and long term efforts with pastoralists that USAID is funding through the USD 29 million Pastoralist Livelihoods Initiative (PLI). The program provides emergency feeding and animal health interventions, early de-stocking assistance, and an extensive program in improved marketing, which includes building of livestock markets, and development and training of local marketing institutions. 

Mr. Anders also toured two new livestock marketplaces being constructed under the supervision of USAID partners Save the Children USA and ACDI/VOCA.  He also visited a livestock water well site, which provides a source of water for livestock during droughts, and is implemented by USAID partner CARE International.

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