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Pastoralist Areas Resilience Improvement through Market Expansion (PRIME) Project

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development

FY 2016 Annual Report

Reporting Period: 1 October 2015 – 30 September 2016

Submitted to:

AOR: Dubale Admasu, USAID/Ethiopia

Country Contact HQ contact Program Summary

Michael J. Jacobs Nate Oetting Award No: AID-663-A-12-00014

Chief of Party Senior Program Officer

Box 14319 Mercy Corps Start Date: October 15, 2012

Addis Ababa 45 SW Ankeny

Ethiopia Portland, Oregon 97204 End Date: October 14, 2017

Phone:+251-(11) 416-9337 Total Award: $56,772,799

Fax: +251-(11)416-9571 503.896.5000

mjacobs@mercycorps.org noetting@mercycorps.org Report Date: October 31, 2016

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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PRIME is a five-year, USAID-funded initiative designed to support resilience among pastoralist

communities in Ethiopia, and thus enhance prospects for long-term development in Ethiopia’s

dryland landscape where the pastoralist livelihood system prevails. Financed through Feed the

Future (FTF) and Global Climate Change (GCC) facilities, PRIME was designed to be

transformative and innovative, and to achieve scale through market-driven approaches to

livestock production and livelihood diversification that simultaneously support dryland

communities to adapt to a changing climate. In order to achieve its overall goal of increasing

household incomes and enhancing resilience to climate change through market linkages, the

program works to meet the following five major objectives (intermediate results):

1) Improve productivity and competitiveness of livestock and livestock products;

2) Enhance pastoralists’ adaptation to climate change;

3) Strengthen alternative livelihoods for households transitioning out of pastoralism;

4) Ensure enhanced innovation, learning and knowledge management; and

5) Improve nutritional status of targeted households through targeted, sustained and

evidence-based interventions.

Highlights from Year 4: This report summarizes the key activities implemented, and the associated accomplishments for PRIME between 1 October 2015 and 30 September 2016. Major accomplishments for this Year 4 include:

PROGRESS AGAINST OVERALL GOALS

Key findings in the Midline Survey (2015) when compared to the Baseline Survey (2013)

indicated that with the implementation of PRIME, annual household income increased on

average by $194.09 /hh. Measures of poverty did not improve and remained unchanged despite

the increased household income. However, the midline measurements were made at the peak of

the El Niño drought and two of PRIME’s operational areas were deeply affected by this drought.

The midline survey also found that household vulnerability to drought had declined, on average,

by 29% when measuring the probability of suffering from moderate or severe hunger. In

addition, there were increases in the percentage of children (from 0.5% to 5.2%) and women

(from 2.2% to 2.7%) eating 4 or more food groups. Household access to veterinary products also

increased from 9% to 35% and access to financial services increased for an estimated 174,556

beneficiaries since the start of the project.

The Annual Household Survey found that all targets for 2015 were achieved for annually

measured indicators. Moreover, some end-of-project targets, such as the one related to the

percentage of women reporting meaningful participation in decision-making and the percentage

of farmers who practice supplementary feeding for animals, have already been achieved.

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During this reporting year, PRIME reached 74,513 vulnerable households. According to PRIME

FY2016 Annual Household Survey report, 45,542 people implemented risk-reducing

practices/actions to improve resilience to climate change. The number of farmers and others who

have applied new (improved) technologies or management practices as a result of PRIME

activities during FY2016 is 45,542. PRIME also leveraged total of $1,734, 969 PS capital

investments and achieved a total $10,876,924.82 incremental sales.

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 1: IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY AND COMPETITIVENESS OF LIVESTOCK

AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS:

The focus of the activities for achieving the Intermediary Result 1- Improved productivity and

competitiveness of livestock and livestock products during PRIME year 4 continued to be on

improving productivity in key livestock market systems, improving market linkages, improving

enabling environment and providing effective emergency response to protect pastoralist assets.

During Year 4 the IR1 team, in concert with other IRs and IIF continued implementing activities

initiated in the previous project quarters, focused on development of the live animals trade, meat,

dairy and livestock inputs (animal health products and services and feed/fodder) value chains.

These activities consisted of:

1) support to local lead SMEs in completing their business expansions and improving business

capacity, including business soundness, marketing and business management practices, adoption

of new technologies, increasing employment, and expanding market consolidation for

commodities (milk and livestock) produced by pastoral and agro-pastoral households;

2) market linkage events, trainings, technical assistance interventions and exposure visits for

value chain operators, suppliers and local public development agents in the value chains; and

3) livestock productivity improvement events, trainings and information dissemination.

Additionally, in response to the drought conditions existing in the eastern operational areas of

PRIME (Afar and Siti Zone of ESRS) the IR1 team, in collaboration with the IR3 and IR5 teams

focused on developing and implementing emergency and crisis modifier activities. The

emergency response activities worked towards preventing negative drought effects on livestock

and livestock marketing, and protecting resilience improvement and development gains. Several

activities such as destocking (stimulating commercial livestock off-take), restricted value

veterinary vouchers interventions, fodder transportation interventions, as well as initiation of

support for improved feed and fodder accessibility. The combined emergency market activities

as they relate to the IR1 objectives brought increased access to veterinarian products and services

for over 21,000 households in Afar Zone 3 and the Siti Zone. An additional estimated 12,000

households were able to sell over 38,200 small ruminants during the destocking activities, and

another 22,000 have benefited from improved local access to supplemental feed and fodder for

livestock.

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 2: CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND NATURAL RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT:

PRIME’s Intermediate Result 2 focuses on enhancing pastoralists’ adaptation to climate change

by improving availability and access to climate information services, supporting the

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strengthening of early warning systems, and strengthening the capacity of local institutions for

improved resource governance and management practices in climate adaptation. This includes

improving livelihood-related decision-making processes towards climate change adaptation

under Intermediate Results 1 and 3 that focus on livestock productivity and livelihood

diversification, respectively.

The natural resource management activities (NRM) focused on ensuring the continuity of the

rangeland councils’ role, through continued support of regular dialogues and review meeting

events between rangeland councils and local-level government partners. NRM activities also

included facilitation of community rangeland management planning and endorsement processes

by local government stakeholders. Other activities included support of rangeland restoration

activities, development and/or rehabilitation of selected water points (ponds and birkads),

selective bush thinning/prosopis clearing activities, and hay making trainings to encourage

communities to harvest and store surplus grass for the following dry season. The major

accomplishments under the NRM activities include supporting regular rangeland council

meetings held in all 24 rangeland systems in the three clusters, facilitating community rangeland

management planning processes at 16 rangeland systems and the endorsement of 10 rangeland

system plans. Nine water points were rehabilitated or developed in addition to the restoration of

6,322.5 hectares of rangeland, via selective clearing of prosopsis, area closures and soil & water

conservation techniques – including soil bunds and check dams.

Similarly, trainings were offered on Basic Data Collection and Dissemination Techniques for

Early Warning Committee Members in Afar. Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP) workshops

took place in all the three clusters, and led to the dissemination of advisories to communities in

all three clusters. Support was provided to the multi-agency assessment of the Belg rainy season

in Afar and Southern clusters, and ongoing support went to the local SAA groups’ discussions

and meetings in Afar and Southern clusters. PRIME promoted the expansion of Improved

Supplementary Fodder Production activities in Afar based on the results of the piloting work

conducted in the previous year, and material support went to the Afar regional Disaster

Prevention Food Security Projects Coordination Office (DPFSPCO) to strengthen their disaster

response capacities and coordination.

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 3: STRENGTHENED ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS FOR HOUSEHOLDS

TRANSITIONING OUT OF PASTORALISM (TOPS)

Over 1,230 TOPs graduated and attending Short-term vocational training in Different TVETs: New cohorts of TOPs are enrolled to attend vocational skill training in different TVETs through

PRIME’s short-term vocational scholarship program. During the year, 758 young and

unemployed TOPs started skills training in over 20 different skills. Since PRIME started

supporting the TVET to expand their training streams and improve their curriculums, over 80%

have completed and graduated and the remaining 20% are still attending the training. This year’s

achievement brings the total number of TOPs who have graduated or continue attending the

short-term training to 1,238. In addition to facilitating the scholarship, PRIME has provided

financial assistance to TOPs from very poor families to attend and successfully complete the

training. Those who have completed the training are pursuing jobs or have started their own

employment. Graduated cohorts of TOPs are reporting that they have obtained jobs and some

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started their own business that they would not have obtained without the skills training facilitated

by PRIME. PRIME is working to link interested TOPs to access finance from MFIs should they

want planning to start their own business.

PRIME business expansion activity created 531 new jobs in Somali, Oromia and Afar

regions:

Several enterprises and financial institutions supported by PRIME in the Eastern, Southern and

Afar clusters reported to have created a total of 531 new full-time jobs. The types of enterprises

span from livestock, non-livestock, and financial institutions. PRIME has provided cost share

business expansion grants for small, medium and large enterprises to expand their business in

pastoralist areas to create new jobs for TOPS and create markets for producers.

Micro loans for over 1,000 women start-up businesses facilitated by PRIME:

The PRIME and ACPA teams supported the Somali Microfinance Institution (SMFI) to facilitate

micro loans for 1180 women from different woredas of the Somali region. The SMFI provided

entrepreneurship and financial literacy training for the selected women while PRIME covered the

operational costs of the training. At the end of the training, all women TOPs were linked to the

SMFI and opened savings accounts. Following that, the SMFI disbursed a total loan amount of

3,584,000 ETB per the individual business proposals. The participants regularly save with the

SMFI on a monthly basis and repay the loan monthly. Upon repayment of the first round of loan

funding, clients will be eligible for another loan on a voluntary basis.

Mobile and agent banking client numbers and transactions hit new high record:

Mercy Corps has supported the Somali MFI in the introduction and rollout of mobile and agent

banking (HelloCash) solutions to increase access to inclusive financial services in the region.

During the year, HelloCash was inaugurated in the presence of high-level delegates from Federal

and Regional government, the United States Ambassador to Ethiopia, and USAID mission

representatives. Mobile and agent banking clients of SMFI have now reached a record high, with

over 111,000 individuals signed up for mobile and agent banking service and over 750 new

agents established. The coverage and service of HelloCash is growing tremendously, as

demonstrated by the more than 6000 daily transactions via the HelloCash mobile money

platform, with a value of US$450,000. Since the start of the service 20 years ago, nearly US$32

million in transactions have taken place.

5,000 households received cash transfers and financial literacy training in drought stricken

areas of Afar Zone 3and Siti Zone:

The cash transfer intervention targeted 5000 pastoralists and households transitioning out of

pastoralism (TOPs) in Siti and Afar Zone 3 selected woredas. Households in the lowest wealth

quartile in these communities were the primary targets of the cash transfer intervention. PRIME

collaborated with Afar MFI and Somali MFI to implement this activity in both regions. All

targeted households opened bank account with the MFIs, attended financial literacy and nutrition

training and received cash through their bank account, with the option to withdraw from nearby

MFI branches, mobile banking agents, and designated payment outlets. This activity is

completed, with 2500 households in Afar zone 3 having received three rounds of cash through

their conventional bank account, while in Siti zone 2500 (1067 through mobile bank account)

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households received three rounds of cash through conventional and mobile bank accounts. Even

though the cash transfer activity is completed, households have the option to continue being

clients of these MFIs and to use their bank accounts for future saving.

The newly established Rays MFI opened its first four branches for service: PRIME has been supporting Rays since its establishment, and continues to provide financial and

technical assistance. During the reporting period, Rays facilitated training for all their newly

hired staff to ensure they provide the best service in their respective branch offices.

612 VSLAs with 11,219 members have been formed through the private service provider model

PRIME support for Private Service Providers (PSPs) for the formation and expansion of VSLAs

through the PSP model continued this year. The model is a more cost-effective and sustainable

method to expand outreach in target communities and provide the service and is adopted across

all PRIME intervention areas. During the reporting period, the overall achievement of VSLA

establishments via PSP model was impressive. The total number of groups formed and total

VSLA members now stand at 612 and 11,219 respectively. The total amount of members’

savings reached ETB 4,375,671 (US$200,000) with a total loan outstanding balance of ETB

1,206,986 (US$55,000).

Facilitation of disability adjustment appliances:

ECDD in collaboration with Mercy Corps and SOS Sahel Ethiopia facilitated the provision of

disability adjustment appliances. A total of 69 (52 female) trainees with mobility impairment

enrolled in Yabello, Negelle, and Moyalle. TVET Colleges were provided with different

appliances. The cost for the appliances was covered by PRIME with the referral linkage formed

with Cheshire Services Ethiopia Hawassa Branch.

Increasing access to agricultural inputs:

Eighteen agricultural input suppliers (i.e., twelve in Eastern cluster and six in Southern cluster)

were supported through cost-shared small grants. After successful business expansion, these

input suppliers continue to supply various agricultural inputs. In this reporting period, 8,871

households (6,230 male and 2,841 female) have accessed various types of vegetable seeds,

improved cereals, pulses and forage seeds, farm tools and agro chemicals from these agricultural

input suppliers. Households invest around ETB 5,845,085 (US$266,000) on improved inputs and

agricultural equipment. PRIME will continue to provide technical support, business

coaching/mentoring and data tracking in the coming year.

Adult Literacy Training:

The general objective of adult literacy training is to establish a well-planned, organized and

coordinated adult education system that will provide access to quality and relevant learning

programs to youth and adults that will enable them to participate competently in the social,

economic, and political development of the region. 1,256 men and 757 women attended literacy

training conducted by FSA in Awash Fentale, Argoba, Amibara, Dulessa and Gelalo woredas.

Dulessa woreda, in particular, is performing well in both student numbers and a strong female

ratio. In Awash Fentale, due to access to the city and road system, the number of students is

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lower and has fewer women. Generally, we observed an improvement in the month of March

with increased numbers of students, more women participants, and lower dropout rates.

IR4: Ensure enhanced innovation, learning and knowledge management

The final versions of the 2015 Annual Household Survey and Midline Survey Reports were

submitted this quarter. Key results from the surveys show that PRIME is associated with

increasing dietary diversity for children aged 6 to 23 months and pregnant and lactating women,

PRIME is associated with increasing access to animal health services, and PRIME is linked with

reducing drought vulnerability in high intensity areas in comparison to low intensity ones.

The LKM team from Mercy Corps, in collaboration with Haramaya University staff, also

focused efforts on monitoring and evaluating the emergency drought response interventions in

Afar Zone 3 and Siti zone of Somali region. Interviews with market actors for livestock (traders)

and for veterinary products (PVPs) working with PRIME will provide a market baseline, while

interviews with beneficiaries of the cash transfer program will provide insight to the project on

nutritional outcomes, coping strategies, use of the cash transfer and satisfaction with MFI

services.

To understand the contribution of PRIME interventions towards building resilience in Fanfan

zone, Mercy Corps regional resilience hub and the learning technical support unit at Mercy

Corps headquarters carried out research in four woredas of the zone. While the research is

similar to what TANGO is doing around Jigjiga town, this research aims to look at different

geographical areas and provide a ‘baseline’ with planned follow-up surveys to observe resilience

capacities in PRIME target households and communities. PRIME is providing some support to

this resilience research, assisting with technical and programmatic inputs. The quantitative and

qualitative data collection was conducted and preliminary data analysis completed. The draft

report was shared with IR leaders and their deputies. The final report will be shared during

quarter 17. This information will inform Mercy Corps, PRIME partners, and the overall

resilience community about what interventions are contributing most to resilience and whether

PRIME’s approach is making a difference in these communities.

Finally, the proceedings of Haramaya university Research findings have been published and are

being distributed to stakeholders at federal and regional level. PRIME partners and USAID have

also received copies during this year.

During Y16 the IR4 team conducted progress monitoring of three interventions: livestock de-

stocking and veterinarian voucher intervention (drought response), birkads construction, and

pond excavation. Through qualitative data collection, the team found that most interviewed

livestock traders noticed a positive change in the respective livestock market, especially on

livestock price. Access to feed remains the main challenge to those traders we interviewed. Price

determination based on livestock body condition was the second challenge most reported.

PRIME interviewed pastoralists who received veterinary vouchers as part of the drought

response intervention. Pastoralists believed that after the intervention their livestock improved

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their health status, especially for those too weak to stand. CAHWs also played a role, including

providing awareness about the use of vouchers and the use of drugs.

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 5: USE OF NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTS:

The PRIME Nutrition team continued collaborating with the regional, zonal and woreda health

officials to improve nutritional capacity of local health facilities, to effect nutrition behavior

change of supported PRIME households. In order to ensure improved capacity for health

professionals, a series of Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN), Nutrition

Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) related trainings, promotions, practical demonstrations and

meetings were conducted to strengthen nutrition systems at institutional and community levels.

PRIME developed MIYCN manuals for trainers and participants adjusting them for pastoralists

and agro-pastoralists settings. In addition, to improve counseling services at health facility and

community level, PRIME in collaboration with the ENGINE project and local government health

offices developed and printed MIYCN counseling cards for health facilities, community

volunteers, mother action cards, MIYCN posters and WASH posters. These materials were

designed specifically for communities in each of the 3 regions (i.e., Somali, Borena, Guji, Afar).

In the fourth year of the PRIME project, 545 health workers/health extension workers and 280

community volunteers were trained on MIYCN utilizing the developed MIYCN manuals.

Through cascade counselling and trainings, those trained government employees and volunteers

reached 40,046 households with nutrition counseling.

The nutrition team employed various interventions to improve the availability and quality of

animal feed for better animal and child nutrition to increase availability and access to milk for

children. The implemented activities included the training of development agents (DAs) on

nutrition sensitive interventions. In total, 728 Development Agents (DAs) and model farmers

were trained on nutrition sensitive agriculture using the nutrition sensitive training manual. The

trained DAs further cascaded the trainings and reached 6620 community members on the key

messages of nutrition, WASH, cooking demonstrations, keyhole gardening, perma-garden

techniques, improved fodders and animal health issues.

In order to reach additional beneficiaries with key nutrition messages, the PRIME nutrition team

in collaboration with local theater art groups, school clubs and government bureaus organized 48

different promotional events. The topics included the concept of the first 1000 days, the

importance of critical hand-washing, cooking demonstrations to highlight dietary diversity and

community dialogues on the use of concentrated feed. These promotional events reached 37,407

people in Oromia, Somali and Afar regions.

PRIME activities contributed positively to nutrition outcomes as evidenced by the midline

survey, which indicated that the percentage of pregnant and lactating women that ate 4 or more

food groups increased from 2.2 at baseline to 2.7 at midline. For children below 2 years of age

this percentage increased from 0.5 at baseline to 5.7 at midline.

Innovation Investment Fund

AGP Poultry performance:

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AGP has trained 70 AGP Poultry Agents to date and currently has a total of 28 operational

agents in the Borena/Guji Zone. These agents have achieved high productivity from their

incubators, with mortality rates below 7% among agent-group birds. Of the 28 agent groups

currently in business, 6 have already finished the distribution of the second cycle and started the

third round. 12 have distributed chickens for two cycles. Furthermore, AGP technical

coordinators are conducting weekly fieldwork progress meetings with zonal livestock and IMX

bureau officials to facilitate the market linkage for the Agents and to solve the field distribution

challenges. In this quarter AGP has created nine additional full time jobs, resulting in a total of

133 jobs created.

Expansion of Somali MFI branches:

PRIME supported SMFI branch expansion in seven different woredas and in Addis Ababa. With

this expansion, SMFI’s performance has improved and the number of savers in these branches

has increased to 3,222 this year. The number of borrowers also increased to 3993 due to the

expansion. The total loan amounts disbursed and savings mobilized up to this reporting period is

14,550,268 ETB and 17,826,424 ETB, respectively.

Afar Microfinance Institution progress updates:

Mercy Corps has continued to provide technical and financial assistance based on the sub-award

agreement with Afar MFI. The performance of the MFI is improving over time, and during the

reporting period, they have recorded significant increases in terms of numbers of savers and

loans to clients. Afar MFI also participated in the cash transfer intervention during the El Niño

drought response in the region this year. PRIME continued providing technical and financial

assistance to AMFI to improve its core financial service function. Currently, PRIME is

facilitating the MFI during a procurement process of core-banking solutions to connect its

branches. In addition, the MFI is expanding its coverage by opening new branches in the region.

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II. SUMMARY OF RESULTS TABLE1

Indicator Disaggregation

FY13+FY14

+FY15

Targets (Y1+Y2+Y3)

FY13+FY14

+FY15

Achieved (Y1+Y2+Y3)

FY16

Target

(Y4 only)

FY16

Achieved

(Y4 only) Remark

CROSS CUTTING INDICATORS

4.5.2-14: Number of

vulnerable households Total 125,000 118,649 75,000 74,513

236,474 households

reported as beneficiaries

in Ki-projects. A

discount based on IR

integration found

through the annual

household survey

(69.67%) was applied.

Achievement = 99.4%

4.5.2(5): Number of farmers

and others who have applied

new (improved)

technologies or management

practices as a result of US

assistance

Total 16,687 50,80 4 27,380 45,542

Number of beneficiaries

has substantially

increased cause due to

the expansion in the use

of mobile banking

services, facilitation of

commercial destocking

activities in Afar and

Sitti zone as well as the

expansion of MIYCN

4.5.2(34): Number of people

implementing risk reducing

practices/actions to improve

resilience to climate change

as a result of USG assistance

Total 29,000 64,054 27,380 45,542

Number of beneficiaries

has substantially

increased due to the

expansion in the use of

mobile banking services,

facilitation of

commercial destocking

activities in Afar and

Sitti zone as well as the

expansion of MIYCN

PPR 4.8.2-26: Number of

stakeholders with increased

capacity to adapt to the

impacts of climate

variability and change as a

result of USG assistance

Total 20,300 56,274 27,380 45,542

# of beneficiaries has

substantially increased

because the expansion in

the use of mobile

banking services as well

as the expansion of

MIYCN

4.5.2(7): Number of

individuals who have received

USG supported short-term

agricultural sector

productivity or food security

training (RIA) (WOG)

Total 49,225 48,042 6,174 10,097 Achievement 163%.

Financial literacy

training Provided for

cash transfer

beneficiaries contributed

for the over achievement

Male 28,198 28,845 3,944 5,024

Female 21,027 19,557 2,230 5,073

1 we are re-calculating some numbers that will be reflected in FTFMS/AidTracker+

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Indicator Disaggregation

FY13+FY14

+FY15

targets (Y1+Y2+Y3)

FY13+FY14

+FY15

achieved (Y1+Y2+Y3)

FY16

Target

(Y4 only)

FY16

Achieved

(Y4 only) Remark

4.5.2(23): Value of

incremental sales at farm-

level attributed to FtF

implementation

USD 12,657,936 13,728,874 8,100,000 10,873,573

Achievement 134%.

Sales of livestock and

dairy products have been

11% higher than

expected (USD 582

versus USD 644). This

might be due to the

destocking facilitation

provided by PRIME.

4.5.1(24): (NEW) Number

of agricultural enabling

environment policies

completing the following

processes/steps of

development as a result of

USG assistance (S)

5 6 3 3 Achievement 100%.

Area 5 6

Institutional architecture for

improved policy formulation 0

Enabling environment for

private sector investment 3 1

Agricultural trade policy 0

Agricultural input policy 1

Land and natural resources

tenure, rights, and policy 1 1 1

Resilience and agricultural

risk management policy 0 1 1

Nutrition 0 1 1

Other 1 4

Disaggregates Not Available 0

Process/Step 5 6

Analysis 1 1

Stakeholder

consultation/public debate 2 4 1 1

Drafting or revision 1 1 1

Approval (legislative or

regulatory) 1

Full and effective

implementation 1 1 1 1

Disaggregates Not Available 0

Total policies passing

through one of more

processes/steps of policy

change

5 6 3 3

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Indicator Disaggregation

FY13+FY14+

FY15 targets (Y1+Y2+Y3)

FY13+FY14

+FY15

achieved (Y1+Y2+Y3)

FY16 Target

(Y4 only)

FY16

Achieved

(Y4 only) Remark

4.5.2(11): Number of food

security private enterprises

(for profit), producers

organizations, water users

associations, women's

groups, trade and business

associations, and

community-based

organizations (CBOs)

receiving USG assistance

(RIA) (WOG)

Total 1460 1641 1846 1190 Achievement is

64%.

Private Sector 1152 602 1686 448

Producer Orgz 0 36 279

Water User

Assoc 0 13 0

Women's groups 0 266 40

Trade and

Business assoc 10 45 5 1

CBOs 273 286 155 0

Disaggregates not

available 25 393 422

4.5.2(2): Number of hectares

under improved technologies

or management practices as

a result of USG assistance

Total 32,390 34,544 25,000 6,322

PPR 4.8.1-29 Number of

person hours of training in

natural resources

management and/or

biodiversity conservation

supported by USG assistance

Total 78,000 200,041 39,000 12,630

Men 56166 143775 27,300 9,440

Women 21,840 56,266 11,700 3,190

PPR 4.7.1-12: Total number

of clients (households and/or

microenterprises) benefiting

from financial services

provided through USG-

assisted financial

intermediaries, including

non-financial institutions or

actors

Total 30,460 49,223 51,000 125,333 Achievement

246%. This is

because the

expansion in the

use of mobile

banking services

Borrowers 5,000 13,858 4,000 8,199

Savers 24,930 33,465 47,000 117,134

Insurance 560 1900 - -

4.5(2): Number of jobs

attributed to

FTFimplementation (RIA)

Total 2700 1701 1910 1645

New 795 531

Continue 1115 1114

Obtained 1,213 - -

4.5.2(38): Value of new

private sector investment in

the agriculture sector or food

chain leveraged by FTF

implementation (RIA)

Total (USD) 13,500,000 13,767,972 1,871,000 1,734,969

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Indicator Disaggregation

FY13+FY14

+FY15

Targets (Y1+Y2+Y3)

FY13+FY14

+FY15

Achieved

(Y1+Y2+Y3)

FY16

Target

(Y4 only)

FY16

Achieved

(Y4 only) Remark

3.1.9(1): Number of people

trained in child health and

nutrition through USG-

supported programs (S)

Total 14,150 12,577 7,171 14,312 Achievement 200%.

Cascading of mother

infant and young

children nutrition

(MIYCN) trainings in

all clusters helped to

trained more peoples.

Male 5,150 5,392 3,289 7,638

Female 9,000 7,185 3,882 6,674

3.1.9(15): Number of

children under five reached

by USG-supported nutrition

programs (S)

Total 88,500 70,698 38,046 40,046 Achieved 105%. The

figure in Ki projects is

71,510. A discount

rate of 44% due to

overlaps within IR5

activities as calculated

through the Annual

household survey.

Male 44,835 35,972 19,323 27,421

Female 43,665 34,726 18,723 44,089

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III. CORRELATION TO THE MONITORING PLAN

Data for this annual report were gathered through PRIME’s Ki-projects, after verification from

Data for this report was gathered through PRIME’s Ki-projects, after verification with data in the

project’s output tracking sheet and through business information gathered by the EMD team at

field level and reported to IR1 and IR3. Data for VSLA members (financial beneficiaries) is

being collated and reported by the Rural Financial Services specialist through the SAVIX

information system. Information for institutions supported was extracted from the institutional

database Kimetrica and Ki.projects developed for PRIME and from SAVIX information for the

number of VSLAs.

Kimetrica, during this period, has been working on updated definitions of PRIME’s custom

indicators, based on new evidence and the methodologies used during the last annual household

survey and midline survey. The indicators with new definitions are:

1. Women dietary diversity (pregnant and/or lactating women)

2. Children 6-23 months’ dietary diversity

3. Percentage of households accessing Animal Health Services (disaggregated by CAHW

and PVP)

4. Prevalence of households with moderate/severe hunger

5. Annual income

During this reporting period USAID Feed the Future has revised its handbook of definitions of

indicators. Accordingly, PRIME LKM team identified those revised indicators and sent to AOR

for approval. PRIME FY17 targeting and reporting will be based on the revised. The summary of

precious and revised indicators can be found in Annex 10.

IV. RESULT BY RESULT ANALYSIS

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 1: IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY AND COMPETITIVENESS OF LIVESTOCK

AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS:

Key Result 1.1: Productivity in Key Livestock Market Systems Increased

Productivity and Competitiveness Improved in the Dairy Value Chain in Northern Somali,

Afar and Southern Operational Clusters

This set of interventions, is aimed at improving the dairy value chain for resilience,

competitiveness, creating access to sustainable milk market

for pastoralists, improves milk production in terms of

quality and quantity and improves both household

nutrition status, and household income through

facilitating development of sustainable and vibrant

dairy value chain over the PRIME Year 4 resulted in:

PRIME supported two medium sized milk-processing

plants: Addiskidan in Awash, Afar and Berwako in

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Jijiga. The facilities reached a combined throughput of 2.5 MT of milk per day during this fiscal

year. Twelve privately and/or cooperatively owned milk collection centers in ESRS, Afar and

Oromia consolidated their operation and improved operations with PRIME support. Additional

activities over the FY aimed at to improve productivity and competitiveness of the dairy market

system included:

Milk Quality and Sanitation Training for Milk Collection Centers and Agents in the Southern

Cluster:

Three-day trainings provided for 34 participants of which

24 were women. The training was facilitated in

collaboration with Ethiopia Meat and Dairy Development

Institute. The main topics covered during the training were:

(1) clean milk production, (2) post production quality

assurance during collection and transportation and (3)

efficient and effective milk value additions (processing)

methods.

Exposure Visit for Milk Collection Centers to Medium Scale Milk Processing Plants in Bushtit

and Adama: To equip milk collection centers, that have been supported through PRIME, with

knowledge and skills in milk quality. This includes sanitation and broad product ranges, modern

milk processing and handling technologies/practices. PRIME has facilitated 3-day exposure

visits for 42 trainees of which 29 were women, including milk collection centers and district &

zonal government representatives. During the visit, participants were exposed to dairy

management (feeding, health and hygiene), milk transportation, milking practices, milk quality

testing and milk processing and packaging.

Small Competitive Cost Shared Grants for Improvement of Milk Shops in the Eastern Cluster: The milk shop or milk canteen business model is very popular in the urban areas of both Eastern

and Southern PRIME operational clusters. These small milk retail businesses are almost

exclusively owned and managed by women or groups of women. During the reporting period,

PRIME completed the selection of 10 successful winners out of 33 applications from Jijiga,

Dagheabour and other urban areas. These small cost shared business expansions are expected to

increase the quality of product, marketing potential and ultimately quantity of milk and milk

products sold. That will in-turn improve the demand for milk from both producer groups in the

urban areas and the nascent milk processing enterprises in the pastoral areas.

Productivity and Competitiveness Improved in the Live Animals and Meat Value Chain in

Northern Somali, Afar and Southern Operational Clusters

As the most important value chain for a

majority of the target beneficiary base, the live

animal and meat production and trade value

chain continued to be the productivity and

competitiveness improvement focus for

PRIME over the FY in all operational clusters.

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With the support of PRIME IIF, the Jijiga Export Slaughterhouse (JESH) completed its

establishment including construction, equipping, receiving business license, receiving Ethiopian

Government and United Arab Emirates food safety and quality certifications. Test production

and troubleshooting was conducted and implementation of HACCP and Halal food safety and

quality requirements is in progress. It is expected that this facility will initiate regular operation

during FY 2017 and serve as lead consolidator for value added small ruminant meat export in the

region, serving the marketing needs for no less than 50,000 livestock producing households in

the Eastern Cluster. This 7 million USD lead enterprise the establishment of which was

supported by PRIME with 1.5 million USD grant and $350,000 USD Somali Regional

government infrastructural improvement investment is currently employing over 50 regular

employees and it is expected that will give rise to additional multiple service provision and

supply enterprises in the vicinity.

In order to improve productivity and competitiveness of live animal production and trade market

system, PRIME continued the implementation of the business expansion initiatives of local

livestock trading enterprises in establishing small feedlots to add value to livestock traded from

the eastern and southern operational areas. As a result

of these activities, twelve local livestock trading

enterprises expanded their operations and adopted

numerous new technologies, management and

marketing practices. These enterprises improved

employment from 91 to 134 FTE jobs, and increased

quarterly trade of livestock from $493,702 to

$1,558,676 through September 2016. The crowding in

effect in the area, where PRIME provided 33% of

total investment ($428,000) towards the development

of small feedlots has proven to be extraordinary since

it has stimulated numerous other livestock traders to

start investing in similar operations for livestock

fattening, purchasing and using supplemental feed and

fodder. The improvements of the livestock trading

businesses as sown by the capitalization of the

enterprises and ownership of fixed assets (collateral)

enables them to apply for financing whereas the

traders were able to get business loans from Oromia

international Bank.

Additional activities over the FY aiming to improve productivity and competitiveness of the

livestock trade and meat market system included:

Training in Meat Hygiene for Meat Traders in the Eastern

Cluster: This training was attended by 70 individual business

owners and local cooperatives. Participants gained the

necessary information and education of methods and steps to

maintain hygiene from start to finish in the meat selling

process. Experts and participants discussed and covered

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major hygienic issues important to meat preservation and consumption.

Technical and business skill training for feedlot

operators in Borena: In order to follow up on the

technical and business capacity and market linkage

of the nascent feedlot operators in Borena, PRIME

facilitated a training event in collaboration with the

Ethiopian Meat and Dairy Technology Institute and

Rooba Business Consultancy. Thirty-three trainees,

feedlot owners, managers and zonal and woreda

government experts participated in the training. As a result, the technical knowledge on fattening

as well as related business skills were improved, building on their existing traditional knowledge

and experience. The training was used to also conduct discussions on livestock marketing

challenges with the Trade and Market Development Office of Borana Zone whose officers

participated in the training. As a result, the Trade and Market Development Office of Borana

Zone committed to promoting market linkages, information flow and business environment as

needed.

Feedlot Management and Business Skill Development Training for Feedlot Operators in

Southern Cluster: To further build capacity of feedlot operators some of which are also

recipients of business expansion grant support, PRIME facilitated feedlot management and

business skill development training for feedlot business owners and managers. Twenty-seven

individuals (owners and employees) from 13 feedlot businesses and 1 PDO expert attended the

training. The training was facilitated in coordination with experts from the Ethiopian Meat and

Dairy Institute and Haramaya University. The training had two sessions.

Productivity and Competitiveness Improved in the Animal Health Products and Services

Market Systems Northern Somali, Afar and Southern Operational Clusters

Animal health services and products remain the most important inputs in the pastoral and agro-

pastoral livestock production system. PRIME continued its

support for the development of sustainable, quality and

accessible animal health service providers and product

suppliers in all operational clusters. A result of the

numerous activities aimed at expanding the network of

Private Veterinary Pharmacies, their linkage with the

Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs), improved

and affordable access to these services was assured for

78,950 pastoral and agro-pastoral households. PRIME

supported 33 PVPs to expand their operations and

open/establish 39 additional retail PVP outlets in

underserved pastoral areas. The total investment mobilized

for the expansion of the sustainable and sound PVP

network amounted to $483,382 of which PRIME

contributed $153,173 (30% cost share). The supported PVP

SMEs have as of September 2016 added 60 new jobs and

now permanently hire 127 employees, have increased the

number of CAHWs that they permanently collaborate from

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271 to 383 and have increased total monthly sales of veterinarian products from average 31,500

to 53,800 USD by September 2016. This network of PVPs and CAHWs was further engaged in

emergency activities implemented in Afar and Siti during the FY as contractual vendors for the

Restricted Value Vouchers interventions aiming to protect livestock owned by over 20,000

drought affected households.

Additional significant activities over the FY aiming to improve the productivity and

competitiveness of the livestock industry through expansion and improvement of animal health

services included:

Workshop on Control of Illegal Veterinary Drug Trade and Unfolding Newly Endorsed

Government Proclamation (VDFACA) No: 728/2011 in the Southern Cluster: To increase

awareness of animal health input market actors and various

stakeholders on illegal veterinary drug control - in line with

the Government Proclamation No: 728/2011 - PRIME

facilitated a workshop with the Federal Veterinary Drug and

Feed Control Administration Authority at Yabello and

Negelle March 14-15, 2016 and March 17-18, 2016

respectively. In total, 153 (21 female) participants from

private businesses and government offices attended the

workshops. As a result of the workshops CAHWs, animal

health experts, PDO and PVP owners increased their

awareness on veterinary drugs definition, illegal drugs market,

downside of illegal drugs, controlling mechanism and

regulatory actions and roles of stakeholders.

Business to Business Discussion/Linkage between PVPs and CAHWS in the Southern

Cluster: In order to further strengthen the

relationships between the PVPs and CAHWS

and assure better and more accessible service

to animal health products and services a B2B

event was conducted during the FY.

Historically, the lack of legal and licensed

veterinary drugs and equipment suppliers has

in the past brought to a situation whereas the

CAHWs and pastoral households had to rely

on illegally traded drugs as the only option.

Six PVPs from Moyale Oromia and Somali region:

Dodo, Hiwot, Dirre, Dr. Golo, Harar and Yenya where

linked and strengthened their relationships with the

CAHWs through group and one on one discussions,

exchanging addresses and contacts. Some PVP owners

agreed to credit or rent drugs and equipment to

CAHWs respectively in order to alleviate the main

constraint that the CAHWs are facing in terms of lack

of operational money. Furthermore, discussion and

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experience sharing, which were made among CAHWs and Government Animal health workers

were taken as good opportunity during B2B and refresh training. Finally, both Somali and

Oromia regional government representatives noted the issues mentioned during the B2B meeting

and committed to contribute towards the improvement of the business environment for the future

development and improvement of the market for animal health products and services.

Exposure visit for Private Veterinary Pharmacies from Afar to Veterinarian Product

Importers and Wholesalers in Addis Ababa: The objectives of this activity were: (1) to enhance

PVPs’ soft and hard skills by creating interactive forums and dialogues between PVPs and

upstream input suppliers and strengthening their

involvement in the institutional and functional

relationships and interactions across input

markets; and (2) to develop PVPs understanding

of the law and enforcement around veterinary

pharmaceutical trade and regulations. During the

course of the visit to wholesalers in Addis Ababa

the Ethiopian veterinary drugs and feed importers

and distributors association; Veterinary Drugs and

Feed Administration and Control Authority

(VDFACA) and Veterinary input suppliers in Ethiopia were involved. Six PVPs from each

woreda of Afar Zone 3 participated in a three-day visit with presentations from the regulatory

authority that included (1) veterinary pharmaceuticals registration system in Ethiopia; (2) good

pharmaceutical distribution practices and good pharmacy practices; (3) statutory packages and

enforcements of the VDFACA; (4) overall discussions and explanations around veterinary drugs

trade in Ethiopia and specifically on challenges and opportunities the PVPs need to explore from

the sector; (5) bilateral discussions and negotiations with Equatorial Business Group, Tropical

Pharmaceutical Trading, and DAT international trading. The PVPs also visited several shops in

Addis Ababa.

Competitive Cost-Shared Business Expansion Grants to Private Mobile Veterinary clinics in

Southern Cluster: In order to further improve availability and access to sustainable animal

health services in the Southern Cluster, during the FY PRIME published a call for

applications/proposals for private veterinary clinic (mobile services) expansion. During this FY

PRIME signed one sub-award agreement with Arero Mobile Veterinary Clinic to expand its

reach and service for additional 900 households.

Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) Refreshment Training in the Southern

Cluster: The objectives of this activity included: (1) refresh the knowledge and skills and

stimulate CAHW involvement in provision of animal health services within their mandate in the

target woredas; (2) provide a venue for discussing and identification of most prevalent animal

health preservation issues the communities where the invited CAHWs are operating; (3)

strengthen the linkage between CAHWs and PVPs; 4) provide a venue for experience sharing

among CAHWs and between CAHWs and Government Animal health workers. The training was

designed to create a maximum interaction between the facilitators and the participants by

designing facilitation tools that encouraging active participation. The training was delivered in

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two sessions: class based theoretical training and practical group work. 38 of which five female

CAHWs attended the training that was conducted in Moyale on June 3-5, 2016.

Productivity and Competitiveness Improved in the Livestock Feed and Fodder Market Systems

Northern Somali, Afar and Southern Operational Clusters

Improving pastoral and agro-pastoral producer’s access to and utilization of supplement feed and

fodder has been a continuous objective of PRIME

over life of project and activities in the FY have

been implemented in coordination and integration

with IR2, IR3 and IR5, due to the nature of the

market system. To increase the availability of

quality animal feed/fodder in the target areas,

PRIME advertised calls for proposals for

feed/fodder business expansion in all operational

areas. Due to limited agro ecological conditions and

limited marketing opportunities majority of the

business expansion proposals received over the FY did not

show feasible promise for sustainable success. During the

FY PRIME continued to offer technical support to the

limited number of grantees to complete their expansions.

Both “Mohamed Sharifo”, a livestock feed supplier and

recipient of PRIME support started the operation of the feed

store and started supplying concentrate feeds to the local

community. Oromia Pastoralist TVET College in Yabello

started the operation of the animal feed production

facilities-expansions during the FY. In addition, the Oromia

Pastoralist TVET College also started its educational

objective using the feed production facility. PRIME will

support these facilities to establish permanent business links

with supported feedlot operators and poultry SMEs that are currently facing challenges in

assuring consistent supply with various concentrates. To address the pastoralists market segment,

the TVET plans to establish distribution outlets in several woredas in Borena through a micro

franchising model. PRIME has the experience and good track record in supporting micro

franchising business models and will support the effort in the quarters to come. It is expected that

numerous youth employment opportunities will be provided with a successful operation of this

facility.

Additionally, more significant activities aimed at improving the productivity and

competitiveness of the animal feed and fodder market systems implemented within the IR1

objective of PRIME during the FY include:

Hay Making and Fodder Saving Training in the SC: The training objective was to improve the

capacity of the beneficiary groups to produce and conserve animal feed in the quality and

quantity needed for both improved productivity at mean time increased resilience to feed/fodder

shortage incidents. 39 representatives from as many fodder producing groups, government/PDO

experts and rangeland managers selected from 6 enclosure areas participated on two days

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practical and theoretical training. Participants got

good knowledge and skills on traditional way of

fodder conservation and its constraints and

desirable conditions for hay making and urea

molasses treatment (UMT). Field demonstrations

were conducted on Kifle agro-input supplier

nursery site. Based on practical and theoretical

training delivered, two closures “Kalo” areas fodder

producing group, with 400 HH members have

conserved and made hay from 40 hectares of

closure areas and treated 150kg of grass with

molasses and Urea.

Training in Fodder Production and Preservation Techniques for 59 Model Farmers in the

Eastern Cluster: In collaboration with the Somali Regional Livestock and Pastoral Development

Bureau, PRIME conducted three-day training on fodder production and preservation for 59

participants from agricultural cooperatives in Gursum and Erer districts with the expectation that

this will impact 177 impact beneficiaries. The training was conducted in two rounds both

theoretical and practical, one round in each Gursum and Erer district. Participants were selected

from Jigjiga, Gursum, Erer and Babile Oromia.

Hydroponic Fodder Production Research and Demonstration: In an effort to increase

awareness of and exposure to supplementary feed/fodder production technologies appropriate for

dry areas, during the FY PRIME initiated

research of hydroponic fodder production in

its implementation areas. The research aimed

to: (1) study the production and economic

feasibility of hydroponic production and (2)

introduce hydroponic fodder production model

to a wider audience of pastoralists, agro

pastoralists and extension workers. While

commonly viewed as a prohibitively

expensive fodder production method, the

expansion of hydroponic (on demand fodder

production) is rapidly expanding in regions in the world that exert low potential for agricultural

production and yet have high demand for animal products especially milk and eggs.

After testing hydroponic fodder production in the Mercy Corps and PRIME partners field

offices in Jijiga, Negele, Yabello and Arbaminch, demonstration exposure to the technology, its

merits, fodder production cost analysis and alternative technology approaches started being

presented and demonstrated to diversified audience incusing: farmers cooperatives management,

local development agents and small scale livestock fattening groups (usually women). A total of

350 trainees were exposed to the technology. Trainings and demonstration events will continue

over FY 2017. Upon the completion of the research and demonstration activities, PRIME will

transfer the equipment and technology to be further used for education through practical

application by academic institutions and agricultural research stations as well as potentially to

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TVET Colleges as interest is shown by those institutions to carry on with either the research of

demonstration to interested producers.

Key result 1.2: Market linkages improved

Business to Business Forum Between Livestock Traders and Commercial Abattoirs in the

Eastern Cluster: The objective of this activity, the type of which was regularly conducted with

PRIME support in the past quarters was to create

constant market linkages between livestock traders

involved in commercial off taking in Siti zone and

commercial slaughter houses in Addis, Modjo,

Debraziet and Adama. The workshop brought together

local Livestock traders, big livestock exporters and

abattoirs in the Dire Dawa Siesta Hotel. The one-day

event was jointly organized by PRIME and the AGP-

LMD Project. A total of 35 participants from the

private sectors and government officials attended the

B2B event. LMD managed to motivate four export

abattoirs, representatives from the Ethiopian Meat and

Dairy Institute as facilitators, four major live animal exporters and two government officials to

take active part in this meeting. PRIME on the other hand invited and facilitated the presence of

22 local livestock traders and exporters, majority of which are PRIME destocking contractors

operating in the Siti zone.

Livestock Supply Workshop at Adama: PRIME facilitated the workshop in collaboration with

the Ethiopian Meat and Dairy Development Institute and Ethiopian Live Animal Traders

Association. The workshops aim was to address paradox in demand and supply in livestock

market system. Presentation on livestock welfare and international livestock market standards

have been made by Ethiopian Meat and Dairy Development Institute. Business to Business

discussion and temporary trade deal/negotiations have been made successfully. 16 local livestock

traders/feedlot operators and 10 central market actors (6 abattoirs and 4 live animal exporters)

were introduced to each other and made trade deals. Eventually, central market actors have

ordered more than 10,000 livestock heads (shoats & cattle). Each feedlot operator/livestock

trader has been linked with at least 2 abattoirs/exporters. The Ethiopian Livestock Traders

Association initiated opening of coordination office in Borana zone (Yabello) and invited local

traders to register for membership. The Association represents traders, facilitates trade

relationship among members and along supply chain as well as offers services in duty free

import of livestock transportation means and holding ground land acquiring.

Business to business discussion forum conducted between feedlot operators, livestock traders

and meat retailers / hotel/ restaurant: Recognizing that the growing domestic market for

livestock products is additional potential for pastoral regions livestock producers facilitated

market linkage with domestic customers: hotels, restaurants and retail butchers. During the FY

several B2B discussion forums were conducted in Guji Zone at Negelle Borena with a total of 20

participating enterprises from the hospitality and catering industry.

23

Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Afar Zone 3 Livestock Market Infrastructure: To improve

the livestock marketing system in the region, PRIME Afar

Cluster IR1 team in coordination with Regional Pastoral

and Agricultural Development Bureau (PADB), during the

FY initiated and conducted rehabilitation and regular

maintenance activities of four primary market centers in

the cluster. Major rehabilitation work included:

(1)installation of shades; (2) installation and fixing of

water tankers; (3) assuring water supply line and water

pumps for Dulesa market; (4) maintenance and repairing

of livestock loading ramps, water troughs, communal

latrine, doors, fences, etc. During Quarter 14 all

rehabilitation works have been completed and handed over

to the regional PADB and respective woreda government

offices that manage the markets. Along with handover,

discussion and agreements were made with concerned

woreda GO to share responsibility and ensure sustainable

functionality and maintenance of the markets in the future.

The issues discussed and actions taken include:

Ensure sustainable functionality of the market centers in discussion and coordination with

woreda PADOs, Admin, finance, water supply office, etc.;

PADOs and town authorities will be responsible for hiring guards for the market centers;

PADOs will be responsible for assuring sustainable water supply and costs related;

PADOs will be responsible for sustainable utilization of maintained latrine/toilets and water

supply for livestock as well as organizing latrine/toilets maintenance through charging for

usage during market days;

PADOs will use 60% of the tax collected by finance for this and other purpose through

woreda PADOs;

Mobilization of livestock producers and traders to use the market centers will be carried out

in coordination with woreda administration and police, key livestock traders, community

market facilitators, kebele administration, clan leaders and influential individuals and through

enforcing live animal marketing regulation.

Key Result 1.3: Enabling Environment Improved

Discussion Forum/Workshop for Livestock Traders and Transporters for Better Livestock

Transportation Systems in the Southern

Cluster: Borena and Guji zone are known by

production and supply of livestock for both

local and export market. Currently, animals

traded are transported along all the supply

chain either by ordinary truck or on hoof.

However, the competitiveness of animal

transport is affected by various problems. To

identify and address problems involved in

livestock transportation system, two

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workshops were conducted in Negelle Borena and Yabello, bringing together actors including

transporters, livestock traders, brokers and relevant government bodies. 67 people (10 females)

participated in both workshops. The following issues and problems were raised:

Lack of awareness on new proclamation on animal transportation and welfare

No health service before animal transported at market center

Lack of follow up from owners during loading

Overloading of vehicles

Inexistence of resting places for animal on the transportation routes

Outside market center marketing/ illegal traders

Poor experience of drivers in transporting live animals

Several action points were discussed and raised among the participants in the workshops

including: (1) government offices such as the trade and market development office, PDO,

transport office, municipality office and traffic police have recognized the problems and agreed

to work on addressing those problems in coordinated way; (2) facilitation of training for creating

awareness on animal welfare and new policy of live animal transportation for all actors is

needed; (3) all livestock traders participating in the business should be licensed; (4) improving

market infrastructures (loading and unloading) and facilitating duty free import of animal

transportation trucks for interested investors should be strongly considered.

Key Result 1.4: Effective Emergency Response Protects Pastoralists’ Assets

During the FY 2016 a large portion of PRIME targeted areas was under the influence of adverse

effects of the El Niño climatic phenomena. It brought drought in the North East areas of

Ethiopia, some of which overlapped with PRIME target areas for an extended period of over one

year. Hence, during the FY PRIME focused on this key result by implementing several crisis

modifying and emergency activities, using approaches that preserve and further contribute to the

development of the key market systems.

Support to the Somali Regional State Authorities in the

emergency Fodder Transportation from Gode to ten kebeles

in three woredas of the Siti Zone: From mid-2015, the El-

Nino phenomena induced drought, produced serious reduction

in pasture, browse and water availability for the livestock

reared in the majority of the northern woredas of ESRS. The

Ethiopian Somali Regional Government purchased during

March of 2016 a large quantity of Sudan grass fodder from

several agriculture cooperatives located in the Shebele Zone

along the Shebele river. The ESRS Government made a pledge to the humanitarian and

development agencies operating in the region to assist the transportation of the fodder purchased

from the Shebele Zone to the drought affected areas in the Siti Zone. PRIME reacted to this call

and rented 10 trailer trucks to transport 480 MT of dry Sudan grass and deliver it beneficiaries in

10 kebeles in the Siti zone located in Shinile, Hadegala and Ayshia woredas. The fodder

distribution to the affected households was conducted by the kebele administrations and as a

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result 1,037 households were able to obtain supplement fodder for their herds and flocks as

emergency assistance.

Supporting Control of High Impact Animal Diseases in Zone 3 of Afar through Facilitation of

Livestock Vaccination: Implementation of this sub-activity began in March 2016 in Awash

Fentale woreda. 25,200 sheep and goats have been vaccinated against sheep and goat pox with

PRIME support by the Awash Fentale public animal health service providers. In the course of

implementing this activity, 12 CAHWs and 12 government staff participated in both vaccinating

and coordinating. Implementation of the activity continued in the remaining 5 woredas of Zone 3

of Afar during Quarter15.

Commercial Destocking of Sheep and Goats in Drought Affected Areas of Siti Zone of ESRS

and Zone 3 of Afar: Due to the failure of two consecutive rainy seasons in the North and

Western parts of Somali Regional State of Ethiopia

and Afar; drought severely affected large number of

pastoral households resulting in declining body

condition and death of large number of livestock.

Field reports developed in Quarter13 of PRIME in

September 2015 confirmed that most of districts in

Siti zones are affected and facing serious

disruptions in the core function of the livestock

market system. Over the FY 2016 PRIME

implemented three separate interventions in order to stimulate livestock offtake from the drought

affected areas through the regular market system while protecting the value of livestock owned

by the livestock rearing households. In order to

tackle the poor livestock market conditions and in

effect market interruption due to the drought

without affecting but rather improving the market

system, PRIME facilitated commercial destocking

in 11 drought affected woredas including: Awash

Fentale, amibara, Argoba, Dulecha and Gewane of

Zone 3 in Afar and Erer, Shinile, Dembel, Hadigala,

Biki, Afdem and Gursum of ESRS. The activities

aimed at intensifying the livestock off take from

Siti and Afar in partnership with local registered

and licensed livestock trading enterprises qualified

to receive a livestock destocking subsidy for the animals they purchase and sell in markets away

from the drought affected areas.

In reviewing the past interventions and destocking approaches used by different institutions the

PRIME team addressed the following methodologies: (1) provision of direct loans to businesses

to be used to increase livestock offtake and trade (cooperatives, private traders, financial

institutions etc.); (2) direct livestock purchasing and slaughtering conducted by relief

organizations; (3) offering facilitation familiarization and linkage events for livestock traders and

communities etc. Some of these methodologies are or were recently rendered illegal. This mostly

relates to international organizations purchasing livestock from producers directly or indirectly.

26

Other methodologies are illegal or poorly regulated, such as provision of direct loans to livestock

traders; and some promote poor slaughtering practices and pose health risks while sending the

wrong development messages to the livestock rearing communities, such as rewards for poor

planning and management and perpetuating unsanitary and environmentally unsound roadside

slaughter destocking. To facilitate destocking through increased livestock offtake by registered

and licensed trading companies, PRIME developed a new model for a destocking subsidy

contract, by which the eligible and willing livestock traders are to be provided a destocking

subsidy per head of sheep or goat destocked from the targeted markets, and including animal

traceability and verification paperwork procedures. The activities relied on the market actors

naturally involved in the livestock value chain to do their functions in a more intensified way

stimulated by the purchase subsidy.

Eligible livestock traders were selected following a transparent process of reviewing expressions

of interest from all local livestock trading enterprises that expressed interest. The eligible trading

enterprises were offered a subsidy contract based on their foreseen potential to offtake small

ruminants in three activities between November 2015 and June 2016. By the end of June 2016,

thirty livestock trading enterprises (8 in Afar and 22 in Siti Zone) destocked 38,200 sheep and

goats from the targeted markets. The off-take subsidy varied based on market conditions from

210 to 250 ETB/per head of small ruminant animal (sheep or goat) and was positioned in value

to offset the additional costs that the traders incurred during the process of marketing of the

livestock. The subsidy was the driving force of the commercial destocking and the traders used it

to cover the cost of transportation through delivery to slaughterhouses, purchasing animal feed

(grass, sorghum, wheat bran, maize etc.), payment to livestock keepers, purchasing veterinarian

inputs, watering the animals, brokers, paying for loading and unloading services, etc. Prior to

these interventions there was a depressed demand for the livestock in the target drought affected

areas because the traders were not interested in purchasing the drought affected animals.

Commonly reported prices in the affected markets before the interventions were ranging between

350 and 500 per head of sheep or goat. As result of this subsidy and increased demand the price

in the targeted markets reported after the start of the interventions, did not reduce below 700

ETB on average for the duration of the destocking activities during the drought period and

averaged 750 ETB/head. Majority of the livestock purchased from the target markets were traded

to the suppliers of the slaughterhouses in Nazeret and Mojo.

The identification of the destocked animals for destocking verification and traceability was very

important part of the activity. PRIME used ear notching to make sure that the shoats do not come

back to the same market again and to avoid fraud. Both ear notching and permanent body

marking with livestock crayons were used.

The main challenges encountered during the implementation of the activities include:

Lack of legal registration by the local livestock traders. PRIME required all contracted

traders to obtain necessary registrations, licencing and business bank accounts. All livestock

traders subsequently testified that the business registration modernised their business and

make them more focused on the business.

Lack cash for trade transactions for some of the livestock traders have been hindering their

increase in the off take of the animals.

27

Little understanding of the approach by the woreda agriculture offices in the beginning, a

problem that was quickly overcome after the benefits for the sustainable livestock trade were

observed regionally.

The commercial destocking activities in the Siti Zone of ESRS and Afar concluded in June 2016

with 38,200 small ruminant animals valued at $1.2 million destocked with $396,000 destocking

subsidy provided by PRIME.

Restricted Value Veterinarian Products voucher Intervention in Drought Affected Areas in

Siti Zone of ESRS and Afar: These were activities that PRIME implemented as a direct result of

the cost extension received from USAID for

emergency interventions in the drought affected

areas of Siti Zone and Zone 3 in Afar in FY 2016.

During the reporting period, restricted value

vouchers for veterinarian products were

implemented in the target areas. Over 20,000

households, owning over 420,000 heads of

livestock, benefited from the activities. The

restricted value voucher interventions were

conducted in collaboration with 29 local private

veterinarian pharmacies from Afar and Siti that acted in close coordination and partnership with

their CAHW networks in 50 kebeles in the targeted areas. Upon start-up of the activities,

discussions were conducted on all levels of ESRS Siti

Zone and Afari Regional Government including the

Woredas Administrative councils and PADO’s. The

discussions included Kebele selection, beneficiary

targeting, voucher distribution, the role of

government, the role of PVP’s, and areas of

cooperation. After these coordination discussion, the

selected woreda PADO’s identified most affected

kebeles and assigned targeting committees

constituting of 5 – 6 members from different segments of the community (DA, elders, women

representative, Kebele chairman and clan leader) in each kebele. During the targeting, 100 most

vulnerable households in each kebele were distributed restricted value vouchers valued at 300

ETB per household. The vouchers were restricted to the beneficiary targets being able to

exchange them for a limited number of most important over the counter veterinarian products

(parasite control products and mineral and vitamin supplements) available to purchase at the 29

contracted local PVPs.

In parallel with the vouchers distribution, community mobilization, awareness creation about

voucher system and training of beneficiaries was conducted on topics of how, where and for

which products vouchers can be used as well as training mandated by the USAID Ethiopia

PERSUAP for mitigating potential negative effects of this activity to human health and

environment. PVP Vendor contract were signed with 29 PVPs following a transparent call for

expression of interest by eligible, local registered and licensed PVPs with the capacity and ability

to service the vouchers. The eligibility criteria for signing voucher redemption service contracts

28

with the PVP also included: location of the PVP in proximity of the targeted areas and their

contractual acceptance of rules mandated in terms of: voucher holders service provision, pricing,

due documentation process for voucher redemption and claiming reimbursement from PRIME

for the vouchers exchanged for the prescribed veterinarian products. An important part of these

activities was to improve the soundness of the market system for veterinarian products in the

targeted areas in Afar Zone 3 and Siti. Due to this intervention, five PVPs that previously

operated illegally and inconsistently, were officially registered and licensed. Achieving the

objectives of improving the market systems by crowding in market actors in this value chain will

enhance the service to the community in its enrichment. Those targeted woredas that did not

have any registered PVPs on their territory, now have at least one. In the past, due to the free

distribution of drugs and especially during drought and other emergencies by different

organizations and even the local government, the PVPs were unable to thrive and were forced to

close their shops due to the influx of donated veterinarian products.

Due to the PRIME restricted value vouchers interventions valued at $260,000, the PVPs are

feeling the increased local demand and are seeing a business opportunity and some of them are

actively thinking to expand their business in even less accessible areas. The diversity of the

products carried by the PVPs also increased since products like vitamins and mineral

supplements for livestock came to be in larger demand by the customers (targeted households).

The PVP’s were given the possibility to also use CAHWs as linkage to the households targeted

since a delegated CAHW by the voucher recipient could redeem the products from the PVP

during the activities. This increased activity of no less than 35 CAHWs in the targeted areas to

actively assist the households in purchasing and using the products made available through the

voucher intervention. Some of the results that were observed during and after the implementation

of these activities include: (1) enhanced capacity of PVPs and expansion of the PVP network in

less accessible areas in the drought affected woredas; (2) introduction of new types of legally

registered veterinarian products and nutritional supplements; (3) market linkage between

households CAHWs and PVPs improved; (4) Capacity of CAHWs in providing service for the

communities increased.

Success stories of IR1 intervetions can be found in Annex 9.

IR1 Priorities in FY 2017

During FY 2017, PRIME will continue focusing on market system strengthening activities

conducted during the previous period, in order to maximize the effects of improved market

relationships brought about from the business expansions in all market systems pertaining to the

livestock and its competitiveness: (1) animal health services and products; (2) dairy; (3) live

animals trade; (4) animal feed and fodder.

As the challenging effect of the drought experienced by the PRIME recipients and end household

beneficiaries decline during the FY 2017 PRIME will continue support to the market systems

building for increased resilience. During the drought brought about by El Niño adverse effect,

one of the most severe ever in the PRIME target areas, it was proven that investments in

economic and market development, natural resources relevant to the livestock industry and value

addition to livestock increases resilience of the pastoral communities. It is expected that another

climate influencing event – La Niña, may produce modest to severe drought or increased rainfall

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risks (flooding), conditions in some regions in the PRIME Southern Operational Cluster and in

Afar during FY 2017. PRIME will continue to vigilantly monitor and appropriately react by

stepping up market based emergency activities in the livestock and livestock related value

chains.

Regular implementation of PRIME activities in all clusters will continue during FY 2017. While

it is expected that majority of the Cost Shared Business Expansion Grants implemented through

IIF and IR1 funding) will gradually be completed during Quarter 17 and 18, PRIME will

continue focusing on adding value to the new investments done by the enterprises in the

supported livestock related value chains. Those value chains include: (1) animal Health Products

and Services; (2) Livestock production and trade; (3) Milk production and trade; (4) Animal feed

and fodder production and trade. The follow up on those activities will include:

Further improvement of trade and market linkages established and expanded through the

investments leveraged;

Introduction and development of new business and marketing practices;

Support expansion of the market base for all value chain core participants and supporting

functions;

Support the improvement of business environment and integrative linkages to other PRIME

and other stakeholders IRs and objectives.

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 2: CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND NATURAL RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT:

Key result 2.1: Improved Science and Information for decision-making

Community Rangeland Management planning workshops

As one of the major steps of the PRM process, PRIME has been supporting and facilitating

communities' rangeland management planning processes over the past two years and so far, has

helped communities of 15 rangeland systems in Borana & Guji zones of Oromia, zone 3 of Afar,

and Siti zone of the Somali region to develop their respective rangeland management plans and

corresponding bylaws to help with the implementation of the management plans. The objective

of the Rangeland management planning workshops was to formulate community owned

management plans for each rangeland system with the participation of the relevant stakeholders

such as the community elders, Gedo leadership structures in Borana and Guji, clan leaders in

Afar and Somali, Range Councils, Kebele administrations, development agents, and the woreda-

level relevant government sector offices. Accordingly, the Heads of Offices and experts from

woreda government offices, including from the Justice Office, PADO, Mineral & Water

Resource Development office, Land Use Administration offices, and Oromia Forest Wildlife

Enterprise, wildlife reserves and sanctuaries have participated in the management planning

processes.

The planning workshop participants identified key resources needed for their livestock

production such as perennial and seasonal rivers, ponds, hand-dug wells, rangelands and grazing

locations, and salt licks etc. and listed major problems and suggested management actions to be

taken to solve the problems. They have also identified and ranked those problems related to the

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availability of rangeland resources in their respective sub-units. The participants suggested

management actions which may reverse the identified problems. These problems included

communal grazing reserve management, area closure, systematization of dry and wet season

grazing land utilization, proper management and protection of saltlick sites, water scheme

rehabilitation and development, internal conflict management, regulation of farmland expansion

and privatization of communal grazing land, strengthening customary institutions, and grazing

management through applying a systematically controlled grazing system, including resting of

pastureland to allow for recovery. The management plan of all the 16 rangeland systems have

been developed, and shared back to the respective woreda level experts and partner NGOs to

include comments before the draft documents are presented on plan verification meetings held at

grazing and sub grazing system levels.

Following the addition of the comments, the same participants will be expected to sit for

verification meetings on which stakeholders would ascertain if there are any component of their

plans that are missing, as well as identify the proposed roles and responsibilities of the

stakeholders.

Rangeland Management Plan Endorsements

The rangeland management plan endorsement is a stage of the PRM process that comes after

verification of the components of the community’s management plan and is the stage at which

the plan document is recognized and endorsed by all stakeholders. Along with the final plan

document, PRIME has developed an accompanying standard agreement format, both of which

were presented and signed by range councils and signed and stamped by stakeholders to mark

the official endorsement of the plan document. The agreement formats as well as the detailed

development activities planned in the management plan document were prepared in the

respective official languages of the regions for ease of understanding during signing and for

convenience during the implementation stage.

PRIME has supported and finalized the endorsement of ten rangeland management action plans

in the southern and Afar clusters - four under SOS in Guji and Borena zones, two in Guji zone,

one in Borena zone, and three in Afar. The endorsed documents were shared for all stakeholders

and for witnessing agencies for documentation.

The three rangeland systems (Golba-Genale, Golba-Dawa, Dida) endorsed their rangeland

management plans in Guji zone. The first one is under the SOS operation area in the Guji zone

and the latter two under Mercy Corps’ operation area in the zone. Gomole, Malbe, and Dirre

were endorsed under the SOS operation area in Borena zone. The Plan of Wayama rangeland

system, which is found in Borena zone under Mercy Corps operation area, was also endorsed.

Rangeland Monitoring Baseline data collection

The PRIME team in collaboration with the team of experts from USFS and with the involvement

of experts from local government sectors has been jointly working on establishing the baseline

rangeland health monitoring data in selected sites in Borana, Guji and Afar during the reporting

year. The baseline data collection mission was to collect samples of various vegetation species

and soil types and establish a baseline against which future changes will be compared for

monitoring whether the management practices and system is making positive changes. It consists

31

of characterizing the soil, range condition, vegetation, and community information data

collection. The data collection system consists of four data sheets: 1) cover sheet with basic site

information, range condition, and soil erosion indicators; 2) description of a soil profile on the

site; 3) vegetation transect data; and 4) a “community sheet” where Mercy Corps briefly

interviews local elders and community members on the grazing history of the site, and seeks

their ideas on range management going forward. During this set of data collection, Mercy Corps

tested electronic methods using two different applications that upload collected data to a cloud

server: Land PKS and ArcCollector.

LandPKS

Mercy Corps deployed the LandPKS system (www.landpotential.org) , developed by Jeff

Herrick, Adam Beh, and others at the Jornada Research Center in New Mexico, USA. LandPKS

software consists of two modules, LandInfo (for basic site information, soils, and range condition

data) and LandCover (for vegetation data).

ArcCollector

ArcCollector, built as an extension of ESRI ArcGIS online, allows the collection of geo-

referenced data in user-created attribute tables. The ArcCollector application was used to

record additional information on site potential and rangeland condition. In addition to

intensive monitoring plots, simple map verification point data was also collected in order to

further verify and refine vegetation maps being developed in cooperation with the FS Remote

Sensing Applications Center (RSAC). The ArcCollector application for

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figure: Team collecting rangeland monitoring data

the mapping points is identical to that used for the intensive monitoring points.

So far, 135 monitoring plots have been established in Borana, Guji, Afar, and Somali and this

work is still ongoing. The number of pilot baseline data collection plots are expected to increase

next year. The table below summarizes the number of rangeland health monitoring pilots

established so far.

Area Rangeland Treatments Control Total

Afar Amibara 3 3 6

Awash 3 3 6

Gowane 5 3 8

Borena Dirre 18 18 36

Gomolle 6 6 12

Malbe 9 9 18

Guji Dida 14 6 20

Golba Genale 9 9 18

Somali Kebribeyah 3 8 11

Total 70 65 135

Range ecology training to government experts and members of the rangeland councils In the reporting year, PRIME has facilitated a four day capacity building training on Range

ecology for about 50 people represented by rangeland council members, community

representatives and government experts in Babile Somali. The objective of the training was to

improve participants' understanding of basic concepts of range ecology and grazing management

techniques that can help them in their communities' day-to-day rangeland restoration activities.

The training included field practice and demonstrations of the application of some rangeland

monitoring tools including an animal use summary, Rangeland Health Evaluation (RHE)

exercise, and Grazing Response Index (GRI) where the intensity, timing, and duration of grazing

is assessed. The trainers were a group of experts from Jijiga University, the PRIME IR2 team

and government experts previously trained on the same subject.

GPS training and data gathering for mapping of PRIME interventions

PRIME’s GIS expert (Beressa Edessa) has been providing GPS training for PRIME’s field teams

of all IRs in all the three clusters with the aim of facilitating GPS data (coordinate) collection for

all PRIME supported activities in order to facilitate the mapping of all project activities. The

mapping of the activities are expected to provide information for the PRIME management team

to decide where and what to focus on during the remaining project period and to ensure at least

geographic integration of the different components of the project activities being supported under

the different IRs. Accordingly, the field teams for each IR have collected data and the project’s

GIS expert for all the three clusters (Oromia, Somali and Afar) has done the mapping of the

project activities.

In Afar, PRIME’s Gewane team and PRIME’s GIS expert discussed with the regional Bureau of

Environmental protection and land use (EPLUA) how to work together more closely to ensure

coordination and avoid duplication of efforts. During the meeting, support for GIS management

33

and implementation was identified as an area to be provided by PRIME. As a result, GIS

technical support was offered to EPLUA regional experts to build their capacity, exchange

PRIME project and other legacy data for the region, to strengthen collaboration and coordination

and minimize unnecessary duplication of efforts as well as facilitate collaboration with the Afar

regional EPLUA bureau.

Building the Capacity of Local and Regional DPPBs in Improved Early Warning

Information Management and Dissemination Methods

Website development for the Afar regional DPFSPCO to enhance and strength their early

warning system: PRIME helped the Afar regional DPFSPCO in developing its own website as

part of enhancing and strengthening the regional early warning (EW) system. The website is vital

for the early warning system by enabling the sharing of situational analysis updates, rapid

assessment reports and relevant climate information that will help users identify vulnerable

districts and the most likely threats.

The overly delayed process of website development for the regional DPFSPC office has finally

been completed and handed over to the regional DPFSPC office. Currently the website is

functional and can be accessed at the website address: http://dpfspco.gov.et.

Training on Basic Data Collection and Dissemination Techniques for Kebele Early

Warning Committee Members: Training on basic early warning data collection and

information dissemination techniques were given for 66 (47 Men, 19 Women) KEWCMs which

were extracted from 30 kebeles of all target six woredas of the PRIME project during the

reporting year. The first training was conducted from May 26-27, 2016 for trainees from

Amibara, Gela’alu, and Gewane woredas and the second training was conducted on the next two

consecutive days from May 28-29, 2016 for trainees from Awash Fentale, Dulessa, and Argoba

woredas. The trainees were KEWC members that include kebele based Development Agents

(DAs), health extension workers, school directors, and community representatives. From each

kebele, two participants were selected, thus a total of 10 KEWCMs and 1 woreda PADO EW

expert have attended the training.

The training helped the revitalization of EW data collection and dissemination to woreda DPP

desks, and in return, the dissemination of available EWI/advisories to the community. Therefore,

at this first phase of the training KEWCMs, the trainees were selected among those community

members who are literate and can understand and fill out the monthly data collection formats.

The training was facilitated by the regional DPFSPCO EW experts, and woreda DPP EW experts

have also assisted the trainees in exercising (group works on filling and understanding) the

monthly and weekly data collection format that are currently being used by the DPFSPCO. In

addition, trainees have also developed an action plan that can assist them in accomplishing their

roles in the Community based EWS?

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Key result 2.2: Increase capacity for effective governance for climate resilience

Material support to Afar regional DPFSPCO to strengthen disaster response capacities &

coordination

The regional disaster prevention, food security programs coordination office (DPFSPCO) is the

agency mandated to coordinate responses to various hazards and crisis occurring in the region.

Strengthening disaster response and coordination capacities of the office has been the critical

element of PRIME’s support. To improve the capacity of the office in coordinating emergency

responses and improve climate information sharing both within the office and with other DRR

stakeholders, PRIME procured and delivered office furniture and communication equipment to

the regional DPFSPCO. The material and equipment include desktop computers, printers, Wi-Fi

apparatuses (wireless access points), photocopiers, servers and monitors, an LCD projector with

pointer, office chairs, guest chairs, office tables, document shelves, flip chart stands, and a

television with satellite receiver. The support also included covering the cost of installation and

configuration of the communication equipment including the set-up, network installations and

configuration of the desktop computers, the server, the printer and the Wi-Fi router in the

emergency operation center. The support provided has helped the emergency operation center of

the regional disaster prevention and food security programs coordination office to be fully

furnished and functional and hence improved the office’s early warning information sharing and

emergency response, and management capacity.

Supporting multi-agency seasonal assessment of “Sugum” season across all the Afar region

PRIME has supported the Afar regional DPFSPCO Offices for the regional level multi-agencies

2016 Sugum/Belg season assessment in the reporting year. Based on the request from the

regional DPFSPCO, the project provided a financial contribution to support the assessment,

although the office later on returned the money, that they received money to cover the whole cost

of the assessment from other running programs/projects in the region.

The assessment was planned from June 6 – 26, 2016 in 20 woredas in all zones of the region.

The assessment aimed to assess the performance of the rainy season, livelihood condition of

communities, food security situation, etc. after the cessation of the Sugum/Belg rain in the region.

The assessment was used to provide information on the status of food security in the region for

decision-making, and PRIME has been supporting these assessments for the past three years.

Similarly, support has also been given to Liben woreda of Guji zone in south cluster for the 2016

Ganna season pre-harvest assessment, aimed at assessing the performance of the Ganna rain and

the food security situation in the Woreda (detail has been reported in Q15 report).

Besides supporting seasonal assessments, PRIME has also been tracking weekly trigger

indicators such as condition of rainfall, pasture, water, milk production, feed availability, terms

of trade, mobility patterns, livestock body conditions, crop conditions, unexpected shocks and

the general food security situation. This helps to continuously monitor the local situation in

project intervention areas and keep PRIME management up-to-date on the food security status

for informed decisions, particularly on timely triggering crisis modifier initiatives whenever the

situation requires emergency response interventions.

35

Supporting regular rangeland council dialogues PRIME adopted and has been applying PRM (participatory rangeland management) processes as

an approach for addressing natural resource management and governance issues, and rangeland

councils have been the key owners of the processes of the participatory rangeland management.

Thus, PRIME continued supporting the quarterly rangeland council’s dialogues in all 24

rangeland systems in the three regions to encourage the rangeland councils to regularly meet and

discuss key natural resources use and management issues that require their collective decisions

and actions and address them in a timely manner. These dialogues have been an empowering

process for council members, and helped the project to facilitate the identification and

prioritization of natural resource rehabilitation and enhancement needs of communities, facilitate

the development of community action plans, and support the implementation of these plans.

As a result of these regular dialogues, rangeland councils have been able to regularly come

together and discuss issues that require action to improve access to pasture and water resources

and improve overall rangeland management. Along with mobilizing their communities for

implementation of different development activities in their respective rangeland systems

including the rehabilitation of water points, selective bush clearing, fencing of communal

enclosure sites, relocation of inappropriate settlements, soil and water conservation activities and

the dismantling of private enclosures as identified and prioritized in their respective rangelands,

management plans have been developed. In all cases, the role of rangeland councils was key in

convincing and mobilizing communities for their natural resource management and development

works in their respective rangeland systems.

Supporting the facilitation of multi-stakeholders consultations meetings and workshops in

Borana and Afar on the process of facilitating the communal land registration and

certification partnering with the LAND program

PRIME has been jointly facilitating with LAND project workshops and dialogues held at both

Borana and Guji zones in south cluster and in Amibara Woreda in Afar during this reporting

year. PRIME has been supporting and co-facilitating local level coordination of those multi-

stakeholders meetings and workshops on the processes of facilitating the communal land

registration and certification initiatives underway by the USAID funded LAND program in

Borana and Afar. As part of the ongoing process, PRIME jointly supported the facilitation of

different events that have been organized during the reporting year where stakeholders in eleven

districts in Borana and Guji zones came together at four central locations such as Negelle

Borana, Moyalle, Yabello and Mega towns to discuss key issues, such as the communal land

registration and certification processes. About 285 people (246 men and 39 women) representing

different community groups and institutions including the Borana, Gujii and Gabra Gada leaders,

NRM elders, youth, women and farmers, government stakeholders from PDO, local level

administration, LU&EP and PA leaders have participated in the dialogues held at the four

locations.

The main agenda of the series of consultation workshops was “What is the appropriate unit of

land for the registration and certification of the communal lands, whether it is at the kebele,

reera, dheeda, woreda or zone level?” Except for a few participants, in all meetings, more than

98% of participants revealed that their interest is for the communal land registration and

36

certification to be complete at the rangeland system (dheeda) level. Among the justifications

participants used were the importance of maintaining livestock mobility for the pastoral lifestyle

and the interdependence of communities. Interdependence within the dheeda and neighboring

rangeland systems was highlighted in the sharing of resources day-to-day and during

emergencies. The distribution of key rangeland resources they depend on (i.e. water, mineral

saltlicks, wet and dry season grazing areas, forests, etc.) across the wider landscape, and

compatibility with communities' way of life and their indigenous knowledge and experiences in

managing the communal rangelands resources at the rangeland or dheeda level were the core

points repeatedly raised by the participants at all locations. They also pointed out that the current

depletion and degradation of resources is mainly due to the weakening of their customary

resource management system as a result of a competing kebele structure of the government that

has broken down the management systems of the rangeland ecosystems.

Currently, this process is stuck in both Borana and Afar. In Borana the issue is the government’s

disagreement with communities’ interests on the unit of land for the registration and certification.

In Afar, the issue is a lack of clear direction and guidance by the regional EPLUA on how to

work in line with the regional government’s land use policy. There seems to be a lack of clarity

and confusion among the regional EPLUA on the regional land use policy and the Awash

Basin’s draft land use/land suitability/studies, and also, a lack of clarity on government’s

investment plans in the region. So, the LAND program team are working on addressing these

issues and expect to come up with agreed upon plans for ways forward.

Training on PSP model & the Application of climate information for Local Decision-making

This sub-activity was implemented by organizing two separate and consecutive trainings at two

different locations of the region (Awash 7 kilo and Aysaita towns). At these two consecutive

trainings, a total of 44 participants (35 Male, 9 Female) attended. The participants were 37

trainees, 1 traditional forecaster, 1 meteorologist, 3 DPFSPCO experts, the head of the

DPFSPCO, and EWFS process owner. In addition, 3 PRIME team members have also attended

and facilitated the trainings.

The first training was given for zone 4 and 5 woredas and it was conducted at Awash 7 kilo town

from September 23-24, 2106. During this training, only half of our targeted participants (10

trainees) attended from only five woredas (Hadelela, Semurobi, Telalak, Yallo, and Awara

woredas). However, 20 trainees from ten woredas were expected to attend this training, and five

37

woredas (Teru, Ewa, Gulina, Dalifage and Dewe woredas) did not send their EW experts to the

training due to the late communication about the training and poor mobilization by the regional

DPFSPCO, unwillingness of woredas PADOs to send participants, and a lack of transportation in

some woredas.

The second training was held at Aysa’ita town for zone 1 and zone 2 woredas trainees from

September 27-28, 2016. In this training, 27 trainees from 14 woredas (Elida’ar, Milee, Dubti,

Aysaita, Chifra, Afambo, Ada’ar, Erebti, Ab’ala, Afedera, Bidu Megale, Berahle and Dalol

woredas) attended and an absence was recorded from only 2 woredas (Kori and Koneba

woredas) with unknown reasons.

PRIME is supporting the regional Disaster Prevention Food Security Projects Coordination

Office (DPFSPCO) and local level DPP desks to enhance their capacity and systems for effective

CBDRR intervention. PRIME is facilitating the adoption of improved early warning information

dissemination systems, demonstrating PSP processes (application of climate information for

CbDRR planning and decision-making), provision of different capacity building trainings,

awareness creation events, supporting seasonal performance assessments, engaging on

emergency response interventions (provision of livestock feed) etc.

This sub-activity was implemented with the aim of introducing and supporting the

institutionalization of the PSP process as a valuable approach to build the adaptive capacity of

communities and institutions towards climate change. By valuing the benefits of the PSP model,

the regional DPFSPCO has taken the initiative to facilitate the promotion and the adoption of

PSP on all of its structures (DPP structure at woreda of the region). Therefore, through this sub-

activity, PRIME has provided the necessary financial and technical supports required for

facilitating and illustrating the ownership of the process by the office. The PSP model works by

engaging different stakeholders and allowing them to prepare a flexible and wide range of

CbDRR plans based on possible future climate scenarios. PSP assists pastoralist and agro-

pastoral households, community based institutions, local and/or regional government institutions

to make informed decisions for preparedness and response actions based on the available climate

information.

According to the feedbacks from the trainees, the training has enhanced their capacity on

CbDRR planning and raised awareness on climate change, climate change impacts, application

38

of climate information for decision-making. The training also helped with assessing and

understanding available EW information dissemination systems (mechanisms), increased their

awareness on meteorological services provided by NMA, and the principles and use of

downscaled scientific climate information and traditional weather forecasting systems.

The training helped the participants to acquire the knowledge and understanding needed to

prepare a CbDRR plan based on existing seasonal climate information, and by incorporating the

indigenous knowledge on early warning in the DRR and preparedness planning process. It also

helped participants identify the most and appropriate preparedness and response actions that can

be implemented at a local level for building better adaptive capacity and resilience of

communities and institutions.

Key result 2.3: Implementation of climate solutions

Supporting the restoration and rehabilitation of rangelands

Rangeland restoration activities through different techniques including physical soil and water

conservation measures, selective bush clearing and protection of degraded areas from livestock

interference to allow vegetation recovery provides both economic and environmental benefit

through increased rangeland productivity. Communities across all the three clusters were keen

and committed to continue with different natural resource restoration activities regardless of the

drought challenges encountered during the reporting year in most of the project intervention

areas and have accomplished a significant amount of works during the reporting year.

Rangeland rehabilitation activities undertaken at Erer Gotha

39

SWC measures (left) and enclosure (right) underway at Nebed Gelle, Babile

In East cluster Babile Oromia Nebed Gelle sub-grazing unit, Harshin, Erer-Gotha, Mulli and

Gashamo, communities have undertaken different rangeland restoration activities including the

construction of soil bunds, stone-faced bunds, selective bush thinning and fencing of areas

identified to be enclosed to reduce pressure from livestock interference and allow vegetation

recovery.

Likewise in South cluster, PRIME has been supporting communities of Gomolle, Dirre, Malbe,

Golbo, Woyama and Filtu rangeland systems on different rangeland restoration activities, mainly

with a focus on selective bush clearing, area closures and some physical soil and water

conservation measures around the catchment areas of Haro-bake micro-dam in the reporting

fiscal year. Communities of four kebeles surrounding Haro-bake micro-dam, namely Bake-town,

Cholkasa, Dhadim, Dida Yabello and Harboro kebeles, have been involved in the restoration

activities of the catchment areas of the micro-dam. Each community has done different soil and

water conservation activities like soil bunds, micro-basin structures and fencing off of the areas

they identified to be protected for recovery within parts of the catchment areas that are in their

respective kebeles.

In Afar, PRIME’s support on rangeland restoration activities has been focusing on Prosopis

clearing and management through the integration of mechanical and manual labour, particularly

in Amibara, Gewane-gelalo, and Awash Fentale woredas. In Dulessa and Argoba woredas,

restoration of degraded areas through area closure and physical soil and water conservation

measures were the priorities. Therefore, communities of Amibara, and Gewane-gelalo rangeland

systems have prioritized Prosopis clearing among the other range restoration and rehabilitation

activities they want to implement and they have undertaken 330ha of Prosopis clearing in

Halaydege area. PRIME provided its front loader machine with an operator and fuel/oil, and

lunch allowances and technical support to communities on the public work days. The district

pastoral agriculture development office has also supported the activity by assigning a focal

person for follow up, mobilization, and facilitating the day-to-day implementation of the activity.

Rangeland management council members have played a key role in the mobilization and

coordination of the community to participate in the task. The activity was planned to continue in

Bonketo-Molale grazing unit of Gewane-Gelalu rangeland system but because of a heavy rain

and also long overdue maintenance requirement for the loader machine, the clearing activity has

been interrupted. In Argoba and Dulessa, they focused on the restoration of degraded areas

through different soil and water conservation measures, including area closures, construction of

soil bunds, etc. The following table summarizes the type and quantity of different rangeland

restoration activities accomplished across the three regions during the reporting year:

40

Summary of rangeland rehabilitation activities accomplished in the reporting year.

Rangeland Area of land cleared (Ha) to-date

Selective Bush thinning /Prosopis Clearing

Afar Amibara 330

Argoba 154

Dulessa 54

Total 538 ha

South Gomolle 1007

Dirre 596

Malbe 365

Wayama 71.5

Golbo 200

Filtu 35

Total 2274.5

East Mulli 845

Erer-Gotha 560

Gashamo-Daror 555

Babile Somali 200

Babile Oromia 250

Kebribeyah 800

Harshin 300

Total 3,510

G/Total 6,322.5ha

Prosopis clearing activity and after the regeneration of lost grass & other spp Halidegie

grazing area.

Water points development and rehabilitation

In most pastoral areas, scarcity of water affects the well-being of many pastoralists and seriously

limits their endeavors to develop livestock and rangeland resources. Considering the severity of

the problem of water scarcity, PRIME has continued supporting the development of water points,

mainly surface ponds and Birkas that hugely benefit thousands of pastoralists and agro-

pastoralist communities. Over the last 3 years, the water points constructed and rehabilitated by

PRIME have ensured better access to water services to thousands of households across the three

clusters and have improved their resilience. The development of these water points have also

improved the utilization of dry season grazing areas that used to be used for only a short period

41

of time due to the lack access to water. In the reporting year, PRIME supported the rehabilitation

and construction of ten water points in the three clusters. The water points include six ponds

(Jingada pond & Dibilie pond in Kebribeyah; Awhyrad pond in Babile Somali rangeland

systems, one in Afar Awash Fentale; Kutele Erebe pond; and two in the Southern cluster:

Bursano pond in Golba Genale and Dhungo in Dida rangeland system), two Birkas in Harshin,

and two traditional wells in Dida rangeland systems in the southern cluster.

In the Afar Awash rangeland system, construction of the Kuutele-Erebe pond has been

undertaken by hiring a construction company and mobilizing a chain excavator. Construction

and stabilization of a 25m lined inlet canal and silt trap of the embankment were the key

activities carried out, besides the excavation of the main reservoir of the pond. The pond has a

capacity to harvest about 7,500m3 of water and support 1,023 households for 3-4 months during

dry season. The local community has contributed their labor in fencing the water point.

Kutele-Erebe pond under construction

The construction of the three surface water-harvesting ponds in East cluster (Jingade, Dibile, and

Awhyrad ponds) have been done using PRIME’s front wheel loader machine supported by rental

dump trucks to dispose of excavated materials. Jingade pond has the capacity to harvest 10,500

cubic meters of water and benefit about 517HHs. Diblie pond is also planned to harvest about

14,000 m3 of water and support 385 households, and Awhyrad pond has the capacity to harvest

7,500 cubic meters of water and support 650 households. Communities have actively participated

in the construction of all the water points and contributed free labor, particularly for compacting

the embankment and for fencing of the water points after the completion of the construction

works.

Dible pond under construction

42

In Southern Cluster, construction of one new pond with the capacity to harvest about 10,500

cubic meters of water and support about 650HHs, and rehabilitation of one pond (Bursano in

Golba genale) and rehabilitation of two traditional wells (Ellas) in Dheeda Dida, have been

supported during the reporting year. The rangeland council members, together with PRIME’s

team and Woreda PDO, have played key roles in the identification of the location of this new

water point and in mobilizing communities for the works. The excavation works were

completely done by PRIME’s front wheel loader machine and dump trucks were also rented for

disposing the excavated materials from the pond’s reservoir. At Dhingo pond, a total of 17,744

m3 of soil was excavated to a depth of 3.5m and the pond has the capacity to harvest about

15,082 cubic meters of water that could support 400HHs in Siminto sub-grazing unit as key dry

season water source.

Due to the scarcity of surface water, traditional wells are the most important source of water,

particularly in dry season grazing areas in Borana. These traditional wells, locally called Ellas,

have a significant social, cultural, and economic role in the Boran communities’ pastoral way of

life. Ellas are considered a communal water point and all clans in the area have equal rights of

use. The two Ellas rehabilitated are located along the riverbank and used to be flooded every

season, threatening the existence of the Ellas. Local communities used to invest their time and

labor year after year following every season to fix the damages caused by the flooding. PRIME

facilitated the assessment and identification of the technical gaps with active involvement of the

community members, Woreda government partners, and the rangeland councils and facilitated

the rehabilitation of the two wells. The rehabilitation works included the construction of masonry

stabilization walls, river training measures and water collection troughs. Two new cattle troughs

were also constructed on the side of each well, upgrading the existing wasteful traditional

troughs made of mud. These two Ellas are expected to benefit more than 400 households for

both domestic and livestock uses year-round.

PRIME’ front wheel loader on pond excavation duty in Did Liban, Guji Zone

43

Summary of Water Points Rehabilitated/developed in year IV of PRIME’s budget year

Cluster S/N Range land Name or type of the water point Capacity

(m3)

# of user

households

South 1 Golba genale Bursano pond 2,500 100

2 Dida Dheeda Dhungo pond -new 17,744 400

3 Dida Dheeda Jilo Goma & Did Huka Ellas -

rehabilitation

Constant

yield

400

Afar 4 Awash

Fentale

Kutele Erebe pond - new 7,500 1,023

East 5 Babile

Somali

Awhyrad pond - new 7500 650

6 Kebribeyah Dibilie pond - new 14,000 385

7 Kebribeyah Jingada pond - new 10,500 517

8 Harshin Masle Birka - rehabilitation 776 60

9 Harshin Da’awaley Birka -rehabilitation 680 250

Total 3785

Hay making training for elders and range council members of Dire dheeda

The spring was the main rainy season ‘Gana” in Borana, PRIME has been promoting hay

making practices by harvesting and storing grasses for dry season use. Hence, the project

organized trainings and awareness raising events to encourage pastoralists and agro-pastoralists

on fodder saving (hay making) techniques, particularly on communal enclosures (Kallos) in Dire

rangeland. A total of 40 community elders and rangeland council members (13 of them women)

from four sub-rangeland units of the Dire grazing system (“Reeras” namely Danbala-dhibayu,

Hara-alo, Annole, and Melbana) participated in the training. Similar training was given in Wader

rangeland system in Guji zones, mainly for Social analysis and action (SAA) group members in

six kebeles (Heba, Anchoka, S/Lagu, Tulam, Derba and S/Garbi). A total of 47 people (7 female)

have participated in the three day training.

The training enabled the participants to improve their traditional ways of pasture management by

saving fodder without losing its nutrients (hay making time) and how to store it for a long period,

as well as how to apply a cut and carry system without causing overgrazing and degradation in

communal enclosure sites. After the training, the participants set up action plans for their

respective areas (enclosure sites in their respective sub-rangeland units) to harvest and save the

fodder, starting from early July 2016 using the techniques they learned during the training.

Furthermore, the training will support all communities that are directly benefitting from those

communal enclosures in saving a better amount and quality of fodder for their livestock for the

next dry season.

Participatory Scenario planning (PSP) workshop and Advisory dissemination

In the reporting year, PRIME continued to facilitate participatory scenario planning workshops,

creating a space for traditional and scientific forecasters to communicate their respective

seasonal forecasts to the stakeholders and facilitate a discussion on the different scenarios and

the development of preparedness plans. This also included the development of advisory

messages to be disseminated with the wider community. The PSP process empowers local

governments and community members to validate upcoming seasonal climate risks and impacts

44

against existing coping strategies, and provides further analysis of local climate patterns and the

likelihood of hazard occurrence in order to come up with the most effective and sustainable

strategies to reduce vulnerability and adapt to disaster impacts. The PSP process creates a

common platform for climate communication, which respects, reviews and combines knowledge

from pastoral communities and the scientific community, and helps communities and local

governments to agree on options, develop disaster preparedness plans, and make climate-resilient

livelihood decisions for implementation.

Accordingly, PRIME facilitated 29 PSP workshops across the three PRIME operational areas of

Afar, South and Somali region. The PSP events were organized twice in some woredas before

the onset of short and main rainy seasons and once in the remaining woredas just before the

onset of the main rainy season. A total of 1275 participants (184 women) drawn from regional

Meteorology Agency directorates, traditional forecasters, Administration, PDO, DPPO, water,

education, health, and women’s affairs councils of respective woredas and top rangeland council

elders took part on the workshops. Moreover, private sector actors including feed/fodder,

livestock drug suppliers and livestock traders also participated. Institutionalization of the

approach by the DPBs in Afar and Somali regions and the respective DPPB bureaus in Borena

and Liben zones encouraged integration of PSP into community livelihood adaptation and local

government development planning, enhancing continuity of the process. The table below

summarizes PSP workshop participants in the reporting year:

Cluster and Woreda PSP Workshop participants

Male Female Total

South Gorodola 88 15 103

Wadera 93 9 102

Yabelo 50 13 63

Dire 45 12 57

Dilo 41 12 53

Teltele 47 13 60

Dhas 50 2 52

Moyale 57 5 62

Miyo 61 2 63

Liban 57 8 65

Arero 77 5 82

Afar Awash Fentale 22 5 27

Argoba 14 4 18

Dulessa 25 4 29

Amibara 15 4 19

Gela’alu 18 5 23

Gewane 17 7 24

East Babile 48 7 55

Erer Gotha 45 10 55

Mieso/Muli 37 17 54

K/bayah/Jigjiga 100 3 103

Daror 41 12 53

Gashamo 43 10 53

Total 1091 184 1275

45

The process enabled the participants to consider climatic probabilities with uncertainty in the

climate forecast, assessing their likely hazards, risks, identification of feasible adaptation

options, opportunities and impacts, and developing scenario based plans. Discussions made on

the potential implications of the scenarios developed on livelihoods designed contingencies that

adequately respond to the levels of risk and uncertainty. It also enabled them to create a linkage

between community and the government in developing joint adaptation plans to respond to

climatic risks. The table below summarizes an example of forecast information and advisories

developed during the PSP workshops for Borena and Guji Zone woredas for the short Hagayya

rainy season:

S/N Zone Woreda Rainfall

Forecast

Information

General

observation &

trend observed

Key hazard

identified

Advisories for adaptation Opportunities

1 Guji Liban 35% above

normal, 45%

normal and

20% below

normal

Normal to

above normal

rain is

expected

Drought,

crop pest,

human and

livestock

diseases

outbreak,

and

unexpected

flood,

The following packages of

advisories were identified;

-Economic use of pasture

like hay making and farm

residues, timely

rehabilitation of water

point.

-Using the existing kalos

wisely.

-Practicing bylaw of dry

and wet season grazing

area and rearranging

settlements.

-Timely rehabilitation of

existing kalos.

-Timely selling of animals

-and saving in bank/

changing to permanent

assets

-Changing some animals to

drought resistant

animals.eg:-camels &

shoats

-Giving awareness to

mothers in order not to be

exposed to malnutrition.

-Facilitating for mothers to

get water & pasture around

in order not to affect the

baby

-Creating awareness to join

livestock insurance

-Planting early maturing

crops

-Selling some animals &

purchasing food for the

remaining.

Using treated water for

consumption, using

mosquito net to prevent

disease are the major one

-Governments

strong support on

implementation of

adaptation

measures,

-Government

watershed

management

program

-Community &

kebele level EW

committee for

wider

dissemination of

EWI

- community

level HEWs

good community

understanding

about disease

symptoms and

prevention measu

res

-Presence of DAs

at

community/kebele

level

good supply of

pesticides in the

area

2 Wadera

&

Gorodola

zone15%

above, 60%

normal and

25% below

normal

Normal to

above normal

rain is

expected

3 Borena Arero 33% above

normal

-33% normal

and

-33%below

normal

the rain starts

late and ends

on time; and

generally

below normal

4 Moyale -33% above

normal

-33% normal

and

-33%below

normal

rain will delay

in onset, but

normal

cessation with

relatively low

amount

5 Miyo below

normal 10%

above

normal, 40

Normal rain

and 50%

below

normal

Normal to

above normal

rain is

expected

6 Dhas -33% above

normal

-33% normal

and

-33%below

normal

the rain starts

late and ends

on time; and

generally

below normal

46

Dissemination of PSP Advisories for Household and Community Resilience

Following the participatory scenario development processes, advisories were developed and

translated into local languages and disseminated through the facilitation and support of the

project to reach to the wider community through different methods. Respective woreda DPPO,

EW committee members, members of the rangeland council, and DAs played a key role in the

dissemination of the PSP advisories and implementation of adaptation actions. Timely access to,

and communication of, seasonal climate advisories from PSP is empowering communities to

take advantage of the opportunities that climate presents, which is a key part of adapting to

climate change. The scenario-based advisory messages are prepared in a leaflet form, and

translated into the local languages of respective regions in a user-friendly format for quick and

easy understanding of the advisory information.

Advisory template distribution to facilitators at Erer (left), and dissemination of PSP advisories during public gatherings, Wadera district, Guji zone(right)

To ensure the timely dissemination and utilization of PSP advisories, a team composed of the

PRIME technical team, community early warning committees, and government line offices

monitored 16 woredas of all three regions, and it was found that approximately 21,069 people

received the PSP advisories. Beneficiaries included agro-pastoral households, VSLA members,

CAHWs, traders and woreda sector offices. Most households received the advisory information

directly from DRM members and rangeland councils at village level rangeland management

discussions, public gatherings and kebele meetings. The table below summarizes the number of

communities who received the advisories in South and Somali clusters:

Cluster Woreda Number of people received the

advisories

Male Female Total

South Miyo 1331 784 2115

Moyale 959 704 1663

Dhas 694 757 1451

Liban 2295 426 2721

Arero 1607 784 2391

Total 6886 3455 10341

East Babile 1120 368 1488

Mieso/Muli 1230 480 1710

47

K/Bayah/Jigjiga 1020 980 2000

Daror 1020 980 2000

Gashamo 1020 980 2000

Erer Gotha 1250 280 1530

Total 6660 4068 10,728

Training on PSP model and Application of Climate Information for Local Decision-making

During the reporting year, two PSP model trainings were facilitated in Afar, at Awash 7 kilo and

Asayta towns from the 23-24th and 27-28th of September 2016 aimed at introducing the PSP

model to the Afar regional government’s early warning and disaster prevention and preparedness

bureaus at a different level (regional and Woreda) and institutionalization of the PSP process.

The training is part of the institutional capacity building of government partners and contributes

towards the adaptive capacity of communities and institutions in climate change, making optimal

decisions for preparedness and timely responses based on the available climate information and

different scenarios developed, CbDRR planning, and enhancing capacity of EW experts on

application of climate information for decision-making. Forty-four participants (9 women) drawn

from traditional forecasters, meteorologist, DPFSPCO experts, the head of the DPFSPCO, and

EWFS process owner, attended the training.

The training enabled the participants to understand CbDRR planning, enhance their awareness

on climate change, climate change impacts, and application of climate information for decision-

making. The participants also realized the importance of integrating both traditional weather

forecasting systems and downscaled scientific climate forecast information in local decision-

making.

Trainees exercising CbDRR planning

Social Analysis and Action (SAA) for Adaptation and Resilience in Pastoral Communities

Household livelihood strategies in pastoral areas are shaped by socio-cultural, behavioral,

economic and environmental contexts. In 2014, PRIME adopted the SAA methodology as a

communication tool and iterative process to work with communities through regularly recurring

dialogue and collective action to address underlying drivers of vulnerability to climate change

and the behavioral and socio-cultural factors limiting adaptive capacity, from the very personal

to the highly structural levels.

48

Over the last two years, PRIME facilitated the establishment of 64 SAA groups (7 in Afar, 25 in

South and 32 in East clusters). The community facilitators for each of the groups were given

capacity building training and attended a sensitization workshop to introduce the SAA approach

and raise awareness among the public. In addition to establishing new groups and training sub-

group facilitators from the community, PRIME has been facilitating the SAA conversations in

each of the subgroups with a focus on priority areas like fodder production and hay making,

gender issues in relation to adaptation, a savings culture, equitable gender norms, and herd

management. PRIME continued supporting SAA groups’ dialogues and discussions to address

the underlying causes of climate change vulnerability, and socio-cultural factors limiting

adaptive capacity. From the very personal to different community levels in all the three

operational areas, Afar, Somali and South clusters, involving core SAA groups composed of

community early warning committees, members of the rangeland council, development agents,

local pastoral and agricultural development offices, health extension workers, and women and

youth groups.

In Afar, three woredas (Argoba, Amibara and Awash) and 7 pilot SAA groups with 165

members (63 Women) conducted their regular monthly dialogues focusing on behavioral and

attitudinal change on prioritized socio-cultural and behavioral issues that hinder their adaptation

to climate change. PRIME provided refreshments and material support including saving boxes.

Similarly, in the southern cluster, two SAA groups in Liben woreda of the Guji zone were able to

produce improved fodder and saved it as hay for the dry season. In Guji Zone, Wadera and

Gorodola woredas, 11 SAA groups have harvested fodder and begun fattening animals.

During the year, monitoring visits held by a team composed of PRIME, SAA group facilitators

and represented SAA members have indicated that the SAA approach has helped the groups to

understand key socio-cultural barriers and constraints, encouraging them to overcome challenges

and start implementation of climate smart and adaptive livelihood strategies. In southern cluster,

Woyama and Dida rangeland systems, 35 members of the SAA groups developed their

individual action plans that included conserving pasture for hay making, petty trading, livestock

fattening, opening bank accounts and saving money, and livestock trading. In east cluster, SAA

groups established in Babile and Erer were provided a refresher training on facilitation skills and

the technical aspects of saving and fodder production.

SAA group members at Hariro village(Borana)during hay making (left), Qabale Hussen, Irdar SAA

group member in Borana (right) is completing the constructed 4 room house to rent for shops

49

In addition to directly implementing activities based on the SAA dialogues, the SAA group

members have served as good models for co-villagers to engage in the production and

management of fodder. In this regard, 52 community members in two kebeles of Wayama

rangeland have preserved fodder as hay.

Improved Fodder Production

In Afar, supplementary improved fodder production and promotion was piloted as an alternative

livelihood adaptation through demonstrating fodder cultivation practice with 60 beneficiaries

selected from 10 kebeles of Amibara and Argoba woredas. Three types of improved fodder seeds

(15kg Panicum, 52kg Alfalfa, and 153kg Cowpea) were distributed to the beneficiaries through a

cost-sharing approach. Initially, the plan was to cultivate forage by rain-fed farming in Argoba

woreda, and by irrigation in Amibara woreda. In Argoba woreda, however, the cultivated fodder

plots were not productive because of Belg rain failure. The plots cultivated by irrigation at

Amibara woreda were successful and the beneficiaries benefited from the pilot plots. They were

able to provide fresh green pasture for their livestock, generate additional income by selling

fodder to their neighbors, conserved fodder (hay) for dry periods, with increased milk

production. Results of the pilot production indicated that the fodder production can be scaled up

in areas where irrigation water is available.

Pictures of improved fodder production plots in Afar, Argoba (left rain fed)& Amibara(right two through

irrigation)

Following the promising and successful results of the pilot works done in the previous year,

PRIME, in consultation with the woredas’ PADOs, has facilitated the scale up of similar

supplementary fodder production activities with selected 200 agro-pastoral households in all six

woredas during the reporting year. Thus, during the reporting period, the project purchased four

types of improved forage seeds that suits the environment of Afar zone-3 and distributed it to

households who have shown interest to engage in the supplementary forage production activity.

About 123.5kg of Panicum, 62kg of Rhodes, 25.25kg of Alfalfa, and 33.5kg of pigeon pea were

distributed in Gewane, Gel’alo, Amibara, Awash Fentale and Argoba woredas for 148 HHs. The

table below summarizes seed distribution at woreda and kebele level.

50

S/N Woreda/kebele Quantity and # of HHs who received the seeds

1 Gewane (yigile, geleladora, & Bieda

kebeles)

77.5 kg for 40 HHs

2 Gela’alu Woreda (gefrem, debel,

&Biedaforo)

60kg for 40 HHs

3 Amibara Woreda (bedulale) 30.50 kg for 20 HHs

4 Awash fentale Woreda (Doho, Sabure,

Boloyta, & Kebena)

46.25 kg for 38 HHs

5 Argoba woreda (Gachine, tach-

metekeleya, & geberoch)

30 kg for 10 HHs

Total 244.25kg for 148 HHs (113 Men, 35

Women),

Fodder seeds being distributed

Fodder production plots at Doho kebele of Awash fentale woreda

Hay making training for elders and range council members of Dire Dheeda

PRIME has been promoting hay making practices and harvesting and storing of grasses for dry

season use as one of the adaptation practices. Hence, the project organized trainings and

awareness raising events during the reporting year to encourage pastoralists and agro-pastoralists

to participate in fodder saving (Hay making) techniques, particularly on communal enclosures

(Kallos) in Dire rangeland. A total of 40 community elders and rangeland council members (13

51

of them women) from 4 sub-rangeland units of Dire grazing system (“Reeras” namely Danbala-

dhibayu, Hara-alo, Annole and Melbana) participated in the training. A similar training has been

given in Wader rangeland system in Guji zones mainly for Social analysis and action (SAA) to

group members in 6 kebeles namely Heba, Anchoka, S/Lagu, Tulam, Derba and S/Garbi. A total

of 47 people (7 of them female) have participated on the three day training.

The training enabled the participants to improve their forage management practices on how to

save fodder without losing its nutrients (hay making time) and how to store it for a long period,

as well as how to apply the cut and carry system without causing overgrazing and degradation in

communal enclosure sites. After the training, the participants set up action plans for their training

respective areas (enclosure sites in their respective sub-rangeland units) to harvest and save the

fodder using the techniques they learned during the training. Furthermore the training will

support all of the community that are directly benefitting from those communal enclosures in

saving a larger amount and better quality of fodder for their livestock for the next dry season.

Table of summary data for the PPR and FtF indicators

Number of hectares under improved technologies or management practices

Main Activity/technologies East

cluster

South

cluster

Afar cluster Total

Bush control and management - 2229.5ha 2229.5ha

Prosopis clearing - - 330ha 330ha

Soil and water conservation 3310 10 208ha 3528ha

Area closures 200 35 235ha

Total 3,510ha 2274.5ha 538ha 6,322.5ha

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 3: STRENGTHENED ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS FOR HOUSEHOLDS

TRANSITIONING OUT OF PASTORALISM

Key Result 3.1: TOPs employability increased through life skills, financial literacy and

Entrepreneurship training

Over 1,230 TOPs graduated and attending Short-term vocational training in Different TVETs

New cohorts of TOPs are enrolled to attend vocational skill training in different TVETs through

PRIME’s short-term vocational scholarship program. During the year, 758 young and

unemployed TOPs started skills training in over 20 different skills training. Since PRIME started

supporting the TVET to expand their training streams and improve their curriculums, over 80%

completed and graduated and the remaining 20 are still attending the training. This year’s

achievement brings the total number of TOPs that are graduated or continued to attending the

short-term training to 1,238.

In addition to facilitating the scholarship, PRIME has provided financial assistance to TOPs from

very poor families to attend and successfully complete the training. Those that are completed the

training are pursuing jobs, started their own employment and some searching for job. Graduated

cohorts of TOPs are reporting that they have obtained jobs and some started their own business

that they wouldn’t have obtained without the skills training facilitated by PRIME. PRIME is

52

training to link interested TOPs to access finance from MFIs should they want planning to start

their own business.

The types of training and performance of TVETs in Southern, Afar and Eastern clusters is

presented below.

Short-Term Training Scholarship Program for TOPs (Afar Cluster): In this reporting year a

second short training was implemented in Afar cluster with 327 trainees enrolled to attain short

term skill training in the field of automobile driving, heavy machinery operators training, basic

computer skill and metalwork.

Facilitation of Second Round Scholarship for Youth TOPs (female and male) on Machinery

Operating Training in zone 3 of Afar cluster: The second round scholarship on machinery

operation training has been granted to 100TOP’s (98male and 2female TOP’s) from all the six

woredas in Afar Cluster. It was through announcement of the contract to eligible machinery

operation training provider institutions that Chora Heavy Duty Machinery Operation Training

Center signed agreement with AISDA-PRIME to facilitate the training with in four consecutive

months in Awash 7Kilo Town. The training has been on operating two kinds of machineries (50

trainees on Excavator Operation and 50 on Loader Operation).

The training has been conducted during 23 May-22 September 2016. The skill training has been

arranged in three different phases (Theoretical Phase, Practical Phase and Workshop Phase). The

theoretical phase encompasses the basics of machineries and their operations. The practical

phase covers exposure to the respective machineries, demonstration and practicing by the

trainees. The workshop phase lets trainees preparing, identification and performing maintenance

of basic machineries. A total of 98 trainees completed the training and admitted to COC

examination and 98 of them have successfully approved to be certified competent.

Scholarship for women TOPs on basic computer training in zone 3 of Afar cluster: Basic

computer application program and maintenance training scholarship has been to 25 afar women

youths (TOPs) mobilized from Awash

Town Administration, Amibara and

Argoba Woredas for 45days training in

Awash 7-Kilo town. Based on the

eligibility criteria set selection and

identification of trainees was done in

collaboration with woreda government

and Awash city administration. Hence,

25 Afar women youths (TOPs) got

registered and attended the training for

consecutive 45 training days at SAMI

BILU TVET College, Awash 7 kilo

town. The training has equipped the trainees with computer application programs of Microsoft

word, Microsoft excel, Access, Microsoft power point and computer maintenance emphasizing

both on theoretical concepts, backgrounds, and definitions at the class room and on intensive

53

practical training at computer laboratory. PRIME EMD team has been continuously monitoring

the training and receiving feedbacks from trainees.

Afar Lucy TVET College: 20 (5F) youths with

disabilities have graduated from Lucy TVET

College in Afar Cluster in the field of metalwork.

Assistants are also assigned for wheelchair using

trainees.

Follow up of short-term training scholarship

program for TOPs (Afar Cluster): PRIME’s Afar

cluster followed up and tracked the 120 driving

skill training graduates whose training it

supported. 71 were certified with driving license

and qualified both on computer and field driving skill examinations. The remaining are

struggling to secure the driving license and taking the computer examination and practice field

driving license from the region Trade, Transport and Industry Bureau. PRIME created linkage

with employer enterprises such as Kesem and Tendaho sugar corporations.

Skill training at Jigjiga Polytechnic Collage, Melse Zenawi Memorial and Babile TVET

In Easter cluster, PRIME partners Mercy Corps,

ACPA and ECDD have been facilitating skills

training for unemployed TOPs coming from

different districts of Somali region. This year

alone in three different TVETs (Jigjiga

Polytechnic Collage, Melese Zenawi Memorial

and Babile TVET) 159 unemployed TOPs got

opportunity to attend skill training in eight

different vocational training streams. This brings

total number of TOPs that have obtained

scholarship opportunity through PRIME’s

assistance to 276.

Jigjiga Polytechnic College: Short-term skills training for 30 TOPs and 24 (4 female) youth with

disabilities obtained scholarship opportunity to attend different skills training at Jigjiga

Polytechnic College. The trainees were enrolled in the field of garment and textile, automobile

driving, carpentry and furniture making, electronics maintenance and dressmaking which are

currently demanded in the labor market. When the trainees complete their training, they will be

organized in MSEs based on their skillset and interest to start their own business. PRIME will

follow them up to strengthen business start-up.

Babile TVET: PRIME has provided technical ad material support to Babile technical and

vocational education institute to upgrade its capacities and start new training streams for TOPs in

its main training center in Babile and satellite center in Bisidimo town. Following the TVET’s

upgrade, in the first cohort the TVET enrolled 88 young male and female TOPs in ICT and 12

54

TOPs in auto mechanic skills trainings. The training is in progress and expected to be completed

in the following quarter.

Facilitation of disability adjustment appliances: ECDD PRIME in collaboration with Mercy Corps and SOS Sahel Ethiopia facilitated and

provided disability adjustment appliances for PRIME scholarship awardees to attend skills

training without difficulties. A total of 69 (52 Female) trainees with mobility impairment

enrolled in Yabello, Negelle, and Moyalle TVET Colleges were provided different appliance.

The cost for the appliances was covered by Mercy Corps and SOS Sahel Ethiopia with the

referral linkage formed with Cheshire Services Ethiopia Hawassa Branch. Accordingly, the

following disability adjustment appliances were provided.

Type of Appliance Yabello Negelle Moyalle Total

M F M F M F M F

Orthopedic Appliance (KAFO and AFO) 1 4 3 11 - 2 4 17

Pair of Crutches 3 3 5 10 - 1 8 14

Orthopedic Shoe 1 4 3 11 - 2 4 17

Mobility tri-cycle 1 2 - 2 - - 1 4

Total 17 52

Basic Business Skill and Business Development Skill Training for entrepreneurs with

disabilities (Afar Cluster): ECDD facilitated a 5-day Basic Business Skill (BBS) and Business

Development Skill (BDS) training to 18 (5 female) entrepreneurs with disabilities engaged in

small businesses in Afar cluster Amibara woreda. The objective of the training was to equip the

trainees with the skills of running business, bookkeeping, and business development.

Competitive Business startup grant for TVET graduates with disabilities

After completing their short-term skills training in Negelle Borena and Yabello, PRIME

supported graduates with disability to organize them in to micro and small enterprise. The SME

in Negelle Borena was organized in furniture making while those from Yabello were organized

in dress making and secretarial service provision. As part of the skill training program, ECDD

PRIME project has provided equipment to the SMEs as a startup. Moreover, the local

governments have provided land to build working space and shades.

55

Business skill training for entrepreneurs with disabilities

3,328 job seekers (TOPs) are registered in the HelloJobs System

During this quarter, 466 job seekers from Afar and Somali regional states registered in the

HelloJobs database, bringing the total number of TOPs registered to 3,328 (2,769 male and 559

female). The profile of these job seekers is now available for employers to access it from the

system free of charge.

To increase the coverage jobseeker registration in the system, Mercy Corps and Amasis

(HelloJob operator) are trying the following approaches with positive results thus far. Sending

Bulk SMS to 15,000 HelloCash customers to inform them to register on HelloJobs. 870

responses were received out of which registration was completed for 424. Out of 60 scholarship

graduates of machinery operation from Afar supported through PRIME, registration was

completed for 38 of them.

Major challenge: In spite of Amasis securing Human Resource (HR) license, job seeker

registration using agents in the cluster was impossible as there is no system or legal framework

that can allow an agent to collect payment from a jobseeker which caused a significant delay in

the intended number of job seeker registration. As Amasis is working on their business model to

expand in to more geography, the sub-awarded agreement with PRIME has ended. However, the

service is available in Somali region and other non-PRIME operational geographies.

Adult Literacy Training

The general objective of adult literacy training is to establish a well-planned, organized and

coordinated adult education system that will provide access to quality and relevant learning

programs to youth and adults that will enable them to participate competently in the social,

economic and political development of the region. 1,256 men and 757 women attended literacy

training conducted by FSA in Awash Fentale,

Argoba, Amibara, Dulessa and Gelalo woredas.

Dulessa woreda in particular is performing well in

both student numbers and a strong female ratio. In

Awash Fentale, due to access to the city and road

system, the number of students is lower and has

fewer women. Generally, we observed an

improvement in the month of March with increased

56

numbers of students, more women participants, and lower dropout rates.

FSA was working on Integrated Functional Adult Literacy (IFAL) program during the last

project implementation period with the intention of improving the literacy skill (reading, writing

and calculating) of the pastoralist communities in order to create employment opportunity where

they could generate income. The beneficiary profile of adults who completed level one education

during this year is as stated in the below table.

Beneficiaries Profile who completed level one adult education

Number of beneficiaries who attended

July 2016 August 2016 September 2016

Woreda School M F T M F T M F T

Amibara Bedulale - 5 5 - 5 5 6 1 7

Ambash 3 8 11 3 8 11 3 8 11

Asoba 8 1 9 8 1 9 8 2 10

Aledebi 16 5 21 16 5 21 17 6 21

Gelssa 15 3 18 15 3 18 15 3 18

Buri 3 41 44 3 41 44 3 41 44

TOTAL 45 58 103 45 58 103 46 60 106

Awash

Fentale

Alula 2 16 18 2 16 18 2 16 18

Dudub 2 7 9 2 7 9 2 7 9

Deho 14 8 22 14 8 22 14 8 22

Sabure 14 24 38 14 24 38 14 24 38

Boloyita 5 1 6 5 1 6 5 1 6

Kebenna 8 9 17 8 9 17 8 9 17

TOTAL 45 65 110 45 65 110 45 65 110

Dulessa Tirtira 39 64 103 39 64 103 37 60 97

Durufili 24 6 30 24 6 30 24 6 30

Segento 25 14 39 25 14 39 19 23 42

Hurunto 35 15 50 35 15 50 35 15 50

Edali 20 7 27 20 7 27 20 7 27

Dama'egona 20 5 25 20 5 25 20 5 25

TOTAL 163 111 274 163 111 274 155 116 271

Argoba Gachani 8 9 17 8 9 17 6 8 14

Sufager 10 - 10 10 - 10 10 - 11

Abali 8 - 8 8 - 8 7 - 7

Gebriye 14 5 19 14 5 19 8 4 12

Shumager 10 2 12 10 2 12 10 1 11

AnbessaMelka 10 - 10 10 - 10 10 - 10

TOTAL 60 16 76 60 16 76 51 13 64

Gale'alo Mero-Buri 10 5 15 10 5 15 13 7 20

Bedum 5 6 11 5 6 11 6 5 11

Fale-Buri 13 2 15 13 2 15 13 1 14

Subuli 15 2 17 15 2 17 13 7 20

Dengelgeta 6 4 10 6 4 10 4 7 11

Gela'alu 10 2 12 10 2 12 11 6 17

TOTAL 10 5 15 10 5 15 65 29 94

Total 323 255 578 323 255 578 362 283 645

57

Gender

The above beneficiaries profile designates that one out of total beneficiaries; 44.1% of them are

in April, 44.1% in May and 43.9% in June are female. This shows us the number of female

beneficiaries is 44.03% in the past three months which shows better improvement from time to

time.

Dropout rate

From the above data; out of total 1086 registered beneficiaries 578 (53.2%) in April, 578

(53.2%) in May and 645 (59.3%) in June were attending the class, which means out of total

registered beneficiaries, 55.8% of them are successfully following their education in the past

three months. As a result; dropout is the major problem which affects the achievement of the

objective the program in effective and efficient way.

Successful achievements

Day to day follow up of the program; identify the major accomplished tasks and challenges.

Collect monthly data from each woreda supervisors, combine the report and prepare monthly

report for concerned bodies

Best achievements on career‐based adult education program or functional adult literacy program

that can enhance the skill of the farmers, pastoralists, women and youth in the occupation. This

education may enable them to be successful by creating further income generating schemes that

help them focus on their surroundings.

Identification and fulfillment of the necessary teaching materials to keep adult education running

in the community.

Monitoring and evaluating the overall activities of program sites. Result on weakness and

strength of every sites, facilitators and supervisors are reported to the concerned bodies creating

best collaboration and working atmosphere on vertical relationship (among supervisors, project

coordinator and program manager) and horizontal relationship (among supervisors) for better

achievement.

There are many beneficiaries who acquire basic knowledge of reading, writing and calculating

in their stay under FSA’s adult literacy program. Due to reading and writing skill many of them

changes their life by saving, getting job opportunity and TOPs; woreda education offices and

Kebeles acknowledge PRIME for its contribution in the community through letter of

acknowledgement. Woreda Education offices also play a great roll by providing teaching

material for adult learners to minimize drop out. This shows the complementarities between

education sectors and FSA as a whole.

Disability inclusion: Creating opportunity for people with disabilities

ECDD in collaboration with Mercy Corps and SOS Sahel provided disability adjustment

equipment including wheelchair, crutch, and braces for 54 (31 F) trainees with mobility

impairment who have been registered for short term skill training in Negelle and Yabello.

58

IFAL Closure Event

Thirty-four (14 F) trainees with disabilities enrolled in Negelle Borena TVET College have

successfully completed their courses. Out of the total graduates, 30 (12 F) saved Birr 10,000

from their monthly allowance during their training period and were organized by Medium &

Small Enterprise Development Agency (MSE). Furthermore, 4 graduates started their own jobs

in dress making businesses. Additionally, 22 (9 F) trainees with disabilities are currently enrolled

in Yabello Polytechnic College for short term skill in the field of dress making, hairdressing,

furniture making, ICT, sanitary installation and welding.

A scholarship for short-term skill training started for 40 (5 F) youths with disabilities in Amibara

woreda of Afar Region at the Werer Lucy TVET College. The field of training in which the

trainees are enrolled is metal fabrication and the duration of the training will take 3 months.

Moreover, the trainees will be provided with disability adjustment allowances during their stay in

the training. Assistants are also assigned for wheelchair-using trainees.

Similarly, short-term skill training scholarships for 25 persons with disabilities is under process

to be launched in Jigjiga town and its outskirts. PRIME identified trainees with disabilities and

discussed with Regional BoLSA and Jigjiga Polytechnic College the training fields suitable for

trainees and market demands.

Disability mapping was conducted in Gelealo, Amibara, Awash Fentale, Gewane, Argoba,

Dulecha woredas of Afar region to make all PRIME activities disability inclusive. The mapping

identified 4,320 (1,087 F) persons with disabilities with age 30-45 years. The type of disabilities

includes physical impairment, visual and hearing impairment, and intellectual disability.

59

Following a sub award grant provided to TVET colleges to equip them with teaching materials in

alternative accessible formats and make their premises physically accessible for trainees with

disabilities, Negelle Borena TVET College and Afar Lucy Polytechnic College has constructed

ramps and walkways from the college main gate.

Entrepreneurship Incubation Centers’ Capacity Assessment (all clusters)

This assessment is aimed at increasing pastoralist communities’ awareness on alternative income

generation opportunities and business know how through the support of different institutions

working on business incubation. The findings from the assessment contribute to program design

to improving the livelihoods of people transitioning out of pastoralism.

Policy makers and different stakeholders in Addis Ababa have been contacted. Some of them are

Federal Micro and Small Enterprise Development Agency, Ministry of Education,

Entrepreneurship Development Center, Federal Technical and Vocational Agency, Oromia

Technical and Vocational Agency, FDRE Ministry of Federal and Pastoralist Development

Affairs, Oromia Pastoralist Commission. In addition, the assessment includes the views of

experts in the three clusters and information pertaining to entrepreneurship incubation centers

established by different institutions such as Universities and TVETs located near pastoralist

communities. The full report can be found in Annex 1.

Key Result 3.2: Increased income opportunities for TOPs

PRIME business expansion activity created 578 new jobs in Somali, Oromia and Afar regions

Several enterprises and financial institutions supported by PRIME in the Eastern, Southern and

Afar Cluster reported they have created a total of 578 new full-time jobs. The types of

enterprises span from livestock, non-livestock, and financial institutions. PRIME has provided a

cost share business expansion grants for small, medium and large enterprises to expand their

business in pastoralist areas to create new jobs for TOPS and create market for producers.

Basic Business skill (BBS) training for micro-franchise

women: Micro-franchising is a developmental tool that

seeks to apply the proven marketing and operational

concepts of traditional franchising to small business.

Whereby micro-entrepreneurs are provided with a proven

business model in terms of PATRASSE (profitability,

adaptability to context, teachable, affordability,

scalability, sustainability and employability) and the

chance to benefit from the best practices of successful

micro-entrepreneurs, as well as from the purchasing

power and scale of the franchisor.

As part of PRIME facilitative approach to enable VSLA

members (women) to start income generating activities

through a micro-franchising model, five-day BBS training was facilitated during this quarter.

Participants (50 female and 8 male) drawn mainly from VSLAs and Private Service Providers

Micro-franchise women at BBS training - Yabello

60

(PSPs). PRIME outsourced trainers from the Women Innovative Self-help Enterprise (WISE).

The following core topics were covered during the training:

Generating and selecting business ideas

Major considerations and identification of business

Marketing and networking

Basic business management skills

Basic Business Skill (BBS) Training for Micro franchise women in VSLAs: To pilot micro-

franchising business model, the most fast moving consumable goods identified manufacturing

companies such as GUTS-Agro Industry and ETAB were selected, local wholesalers’ from

Yabello woreda were selected and manufacturing and local wholesalers were linked. After the

micro-franchising piloting activities were introduced at Yabello woreda, 60 women from VSLA

groups were selected from seven PAs including Dharito, Abunnu, Dikale, D/Saden, D/Yabello,

Harboro and Cholkasa, and business skills training were provided. In additional those sales

women were linked to local wholesalers by business agreement. The main objectives of training

were to build capacity of sales women on business skills such as concepts of small business, how

to develop business mindset, customer handling, market survey, and preparing business plan

through micro-franchising business model. Thus, training was organized at Yabello and 54

people were participated including the FA and PSP. Through provision of business skill training

for women VSLA members, they equipped with the basic skills to successfully manage the

micro franchise business and motivated to engage in income generating activities.

Photo: When women are participated on BBS Training for Micro Franchise Business @ Yabello

Woreda Pastoralist College and Milk Union Cooperative Hall.

Impact beneficiaries are VSLA members from a minimum of 7 and maximum 12 groups. As the

number of members in each group vary from about 15 - 25 members. Thus, if 7 groups with 25

member (7*25) it will be 175 and if 12 groups with 15 members (12*15) it will 180. All of the

VSLA members have been trained by Field Agents/Private Service Providers when each of the

VSLA groups were formed.

Challenges: Local wholesalers demand grants support because they heard that PRIME project

provide competitive grants. The Agreement between the whole seller and ETAB was delayed.

Lesson: Manufacturing company identification must be focus local demanded products that have

less competition.

61

Facilitating Cash Transfer and Financial Literacy Training for Drought Stricken Areas of

Siti Zone in ESRS and Zone 3 in Afar Regional State

PRIME received additional funding from USAID to respond to the effects of the drought caused

by El Niño in Afar Zone 3 and Siti Zone of Somali region. One of the interventions for drought

response is Cash Transfer and Financial Literacy

Training. The cash transfer intervention under this Cost

Extension targeted 5000 pastoralists and households

transitioning out of pastoralism (TOPs). Households in

the lowest wealth quartile of these communities were the

primary targets of the cash transfer intervention. PRIME

partnered with Afar MFI and Somali MFI to implement

this activity in their respective regions. All targeted

households are meant to open bank accounts in the

respective MFI, attend financial literacy and nutrition

training and receive their cash through their bank account

with the option to withdraw from nearby MFI branches,

mobile banking agents and designated payment outlets. By the end of the year under review, the

cash transfer activity successfully completed. 2500 households in Afar zone 3 received three

rounds of cash through their conventional bank account while in in Siti zone 2067 households

received all the three rounds of cash through their mobile bank account and the remaining 422

received via conventional bank accounts. While Mercy Corps leads this activity, PRIME partners

ACPA, AISDA and CARE are participating in implementation of this intervention.

Overall Objective and Expected Results Linkage

Provide unconditional cash grants to beneficiaries living in drought-affected woredas, to enable

and encourage them to purchase food for household or agriculture and livestock inputs as

needed, thereby protecting livelihood assets.

Facilitate cash transfers to beneficiaries through bank accounts opened with Somali

Microfinance and Afar Microfinance Institutions, enabling an efficient modality for future

drought-response transfers and strengthening linkages between emergency and development

through market and MFI expansion.

Facilitate training for cash recipients through MFIs to encourage savings habits; building the

absorptive capacity of beneficiaries for future drought.

Cash transfer and Financial Literacy training in Siti zone: following agreement signing with

SMFI, PRIME, in collaboration with target woredas and kebeles administrations completed

registration and selection of 2500 households from 3 woredas (13 kebeles). As per the agreement

with PRIME, Somali MFI in collaboration with Ethio-Telecommunication Corporation

distributed mobile phone with sim card to 2067 beneficiaries, where PRIME cost shared 50% of

the price of the mobile phone and SIM card to open Hello Cash mobile banking accounts. The

remaining 433 beneficiaries in Mieso woreda (Madane and Gedgus kebeles) opened

conventional bank accounts due to the lack of mobile network connectivity in these kebeles.

Financial literacy training - Afdem

62

Alongside accounts opening, Somali MFI provided capacity

building and financial literacy training to all the beneficiaries

three times. The objective of the training was preparing the

target beneficiaries to utilize the cash for food and felt need of

the household. During the financial literacy training, nutrition

messages were integrated. Posters, nutrition flyers with cash

transfer information and nutrition messages on dietary diversity

were designed and distributed to all beneficiaries. Nutrition

education sessions, nutrition flyers and posters are all meant to

teach households about dietary diversity in order to build a

healthy balanced household food basket when buying

household food. After account opened and training provided, all 2500 households received three

rounds of cash through their mobile and conventional bank account. Beneficiaries are able to

withdraw cash from SMFI branch and SMFI’s HelloCash agents. (See Annex 9 for success story)

Cash transfer and Financial Literacy training in Afar Zone 3: The financial literacy training and

cash transfer program was implemented in three woredas of Afar Zone 3: Gewane, Amibara and

Dulessa. Afar MFI is the key partner in implementation of the cash intervention and targeted

2500 households as beneficiaries for the cash transfer. The targeting was conducted in

partnership with woreda administration councils, woreda PADOs, kebele administration and

community representatives through close follow up and support from PRIME team. In each

kebele, a committee of six individuals was assigned to facilitate the targeting activity after

orientation from PRIME on the selection criteria and procedures. After targeting was completed,

Afar MFI provided financial literacy training to the beneficiary households and Afar MFI opened

saving accounts for selected recipients in each household. PRIME released and transferred the

amount allotted to each beneficiary to Afar MFI for three consecutive months which the MFI

deposited to the beneficiaries saving accounts. The 2500 beneficiaries accessed and withdrew the

cash transferred from Afar MFI Awash branch designated payment centers (located in each

kebele). The financial literacy training meant to improve beneficiaries’ awareness on the

importance of saving and the sharia compliant financial services available at Afar MFI. Some

beneficiaries kept (saved) some of the cash transfer in their account.

Beneficiaries from ten different kebeles were

contacted and interviewed for their use of the cash

transfer, dietary diversity and coping strategies at

the time of their second cash transfer. PRIME also

asked beneficiaries about their satisfaction with

the MFI services and other sources of income. See

Annex 9 for a success story on beneficiary from

Afar.

Agent paying cash to beneficiaries - Afdem

63

Summary of Profile of Cash transfer beneficiaries in Siti Zone Targeted beneficiaries' gender disaggregated data -status of beneficiary HHs

Name

of

Wored

a

# of HH heads # of HH members

(Family Size)

#

preg

nant

mot

hers

Lacta

ting

moth

er

# of HHs

with

malnouri

shed

under 5

children

PW

D

Elderl

y

Or

pha

n

FH MH Total

HHs

F M total

Afdam 584 249 833 2193 1951 4144 69 183 630 91 114 1

Mulu 751 83 834 2519 2374 4893 125 180 551 32 86 118

Erer 470 363 833 1583 1166 2749 122 97 431 43 21 0

Total 1805 695 2500 6295 5491 11786 316 460 1612 166 221 119

Summary of Profile of Cash transfer beneficiaries in Afar Zone 3

Targeted beneficiaries' gender disaggregated data - status of beneficiary HHs

Name of

Woreda

# of HH heads # of HH members (

Family Size)

#

pregnant

mothers

# of HHs with

malnourished

under 5 children

Elderly

>55

FH MH Total

HHs

F M total

Gewane 185 615 800 1749 1999 3748 95 800 163

Amibara 253 720 1000 2308 2688 4996 66 1000 104

Dulessa 176 524 700 1334 1566 2894 38 700 97

Total 614 1859 2500 5391 6253 11,638 199 2500 364

Highlights of overall achievement and impact of cash intervention in Siti zone and Afar

Zone 3:

SOMALI REGION SITI ZONE (AFDEM, MIESO AND ERER) - As a result of the cash transfer and financial literacy training in Siti Zone 2500

households got a National ID for the first time;

- 2067 mobile bank account and 433 have conventional bank account;

- 1805 female headed households have cellphones and have access to financial, social and

market information saving habits, remittance system in Siti Zone improved;

- 24 mobile and agent banking are operational and functional serving the beneficiaries to

cash in (deposit) and Cash out (withdraw) anytime;

- 2500 households received three rounds of cash transfer.

AFAR REGION ZONE 3 (AMIBARA, GEWANE AND DULESSA) - As a result of the cash transfer and financial literacy training in Zone 3 in Afar 2500

households got National ID for the first time;

- 98% of households opened bank account for the first time

64

- 614 women household have access to financial through their bank account;

- Households are in conversation with AMFI to have insurance products for social

insecurities.

-

CASH TRANSFER AND FINANCIAL LITERECY TRAINING IMPACT - Temporary relief from financial stress and improvement of purchasing power of the

beneficiaries;

- A total of 700,000 USD cash transferred to beneficiaries and this increased cash in the

local economy;

- 2,419 women have bank account, exposed to financial literacy and nutrition training, and

can make household decision in spending the cash.

Financial Services: MFIs/Banks: Strengthening, Expanding and linking

Somali Microfinance Institution-Belcash: Mobile and agent banking client number and

transaction hits new high record

Mercy Corps has supported the Somali MFI in the introduction and rollout of mobile and agent

banking (HelloCash) solutions to increase access to inclusive financial services in the region.

During the year, HelloCash was inaugurated in the presence of high level delegates from Federal

and Regional government, the United States Ambassador to Ethiopia and USAID mission

representatives.

Mobile and agent banking clients of SMFI have now reached a record high where over 111,000

individuals signed up for mobile and agent banking service and over 750 new agents were

established. The coverage and service of HelloCash is growing tremendously, through the

HelloCash mobile money platform over 6000 daily transactions with a value of $450,000 are

taking place. Since the start of the service 20 months ago, nearly 32Millons of USD transaction

has taken place. The coverage of HelloCash can be

reached in all woredas of Somali region except in

kebeles where connectivity is an issue. There are

newly introduced services that have been added

during the year, for example bulk payment, airtime

top-up, and bill payment. These products

(especially the top-up) changed the usage of

HelloCash and increased demand deposit by

customers. PRIME’s IIF financial and technical

assistance made possible for SMFI to rollout

mobile and agent banking technology in addition to its existing services. BelCash Technology

Solutions PLC is SMFI’s partner and providers the technology and content of mobile and agent

banking.

Expansion of Somali MFI branches: PRIME supported SMFI’s branch expansion in seven

different woredas and Addis Ababa. With this expansion, SMFI’s performance improved and the

number of savers in these branches increased to 3,222 this year. The number of borrowers

increased to 3993 due to expansion. The total loan disbursed and saving mobilized up to this

reporting period are 14,550,268 ETB and 17,826,424 ETB respectively.

Highlights of AMFI’s annual performance

7560 (3908 F) new savers

7,249,927 ETB saving mobilized

837 new borrowers

9,246,410 ETB loan disbursed

65

Afar Microfinance Institution progress

update: Mercy Corps has continued to

provide technical and financial

assistance based on the sub-award

agreement with Afar MFI. The

performance of the MFI is improving

overtime and during the reporting

period has recorded significant traction

in terms of numbers savers and loan to

clients. Afar MFI is also participated

with PRIME in cash transfer

intervention drought response in the

region this year.

PRIME continued providing technical and financial assistance to AMFI to improve its core

financial service function. Currently the PIME support MFI is under procurement process of

core-banking solution to connect its branches. In addition, the MFI is expanding its coverage by

opening new branches in the region.

The newly establish Rays MFI opened its first 4 branches for service

PRIME has been supporting Rays since established and continued to provide financial and

technical assistance. During the reporting period Rays facilitated training for all their newly hired

staff to ensure they provide the best of the service in their respective branch offices. The training

included the following topics:

• Islamic MFI product and service

• Fundamental concepts of MFI and Lending Methodologies

• Saving and Personal Financial Panning

• Accounting for microfinance institution and Financial Analysis

• Credit Appraisal, Monitoring and Delinquency Management

• Risk Management in Microfinance

• Customer handling

After the training, Negelle, Moyale, Harkelo and Addis Ababa branches fulfilled the necessary

requirements for operation and are now open to provide savings and local money transfer

services. PRIME also supports the MFI to improve their core functions.

Saving mobilization and awareness creation campaign continued in Moyale and the surrounding

kebeles which include kebele 1, kebele 2, Shawa bar, Arbalee, Kabanawa, Chamuk and Malab

kebeles. In the campaign, brochures written in Oromifa and English have been distributed giving

message about Rays MFI, the services it offers and how to access these services. 94 voluntary

saving accounts have been opened in Moyale branch since the saving mobilization campaigns

started of which 48% of the accounts holder are female, 8% of accounts belong to institutions

and 44% are male. The campaign also has continued in Negele and the surrounding kebeles

including Ardhaburiri, qarsamale, koba’ali, gobija and Dhibano kebeles. And the brochures have

66

also been distributed in these kebeles. 139 voluntary accounts have been opened in Negele

branch since the campaign started of which 58% of the account holders are female customers and

the rest for male. The total loan proposals submitted to Rays MFI branches for financing have

reached 38 of which 10 of them are in the last stages of evaluation and are expected to be

financed soon.

Assessment on Value Chain Financing for Livestock in Eastern Cluster (HU)

The study was conducted in Eastern Cluster and it is assessed the value chain finance in

Agriculture particularly in relation with the live animal production and trading in eastern cluster.

The data collection and gathering information completed and data analysis and interpretation is

underway. The assessment will enable to understand available financial products and financial

service providers.

Thus this specific sub activity has the following objectives:

Identifying the source of finance in the live animal value chain

Assessing the financial access for the live animal business

Exploring the main challenges of live animal business value chain finance

Assessing the way to create linkage with the financial service providers

Presenting the policy implication for the improvement of value chain in the sectors

The output of the assessment is expected to serve different financial institutions in designing

policy and strategies related to value-chain financing in pastoralist areas in a bid to improve the

resilience capacity of the community. During the assessment livestock market areas and

stakeholders at different parts of eastern cluster have been reached. These include Jigjiga,

Hartsheik, Dagahabour, Togwujale, Sinille and Diredawa. The final report of the assessment will

be submitted in Q16.

Financial Services- VSLAs/RuSACCO: Strengthening, Expanding and Linking: performance

update

Strengthening capacities of rural saving and credit cooperatives (Southern Cluster): As a

continuation of activities implemented in the last three quarters, PRIME provided technical

assistance and financial assistance for woreda Cooperative Promotion Office (CPO), to

strengthen the financial and technical capacity of RuSACCOs through CPOs. In Arero and

Moyale woreda, due to this link, RUSACCO members increased their monthly compulsory

saving by 66% and they started new or additional types saving and loan products such as

voluntary saving, school expenses/fees saving, emergency loan and trade loan. In addition,

during the quarter, Goro Dola and Wadera COPs signed partnership agreement with PRIME.

Accordingly, the two offices have completed all milestones.

Strengthening capacities of rural saving and credit cooperatives (Afar Cluster): PRIME started

to linkage of RUSACCOs and VSLAs found in Awash and Amibara woredas with Addis-Kidan

milk processing plant and will continue doing this activity in the future. Consultative workshop

on the establishment and strengthening of RUSACCOs among stakeholders was conducted in

Semera to alleviate problems related with Cooperatives in general and RUSACCOs in particular.

Establishments of VSLAs groups through Private Service provider:

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612 VSLAs with 11,219 members have been formed through the private service provider model

The establishment of Village Saving and Lending Association (VSLA) through the PSP model

continued in year 4 across all PRIME areas. VSLA PSP methodology provides relatively safe

place for poor households to save their money in the village, borrow money and increase their

income. The VSLA updates from Mercy Corps, ACPA, SOS Sahel and CARE are presented

below.

PRIME support for Private Service Providers (PSPs) for the formation and expansion of VSLAs

through the PSP model is continued in this year. The model is a more cost- effective and

sustainable method to expand outreach in target communities and provide the service and is

adopted across all PRIME intervention areas. During the reported period, the overall

achievement of VSLA establishments via PSP model was impressive. Total number of group

formed and total VSLA members are now stands at 612 and 11,219 respectively. Total amount

of members’ savings reached ETB 4,375,671 ($200,000) with total loan outstanding balance of

ETB 1,206,986 ($55,000).

Location Numb

er of

Group

s

Numbe

r of

Membe

rs

% of

female

Memb

ers

Value of

savings

this cycle

Value of

loans

outstanding

Atte

ndan

ce

rate

Drop

out

rate

Average

annualize

d savings

(per

Member)

Avg.

outstandi

ng loan

size (per

Member)

Souther

n

Cluster

PRIME

Project

339 6,351 50% 1,993,901 602,086 96% 1.3% 458 537

Eastern

Cluster

PRIME

Project

208 3,747 83% 2,082,220 554,500 96% 3.9% 684 3,081

Afar

Cluster

PRIME

Project

65 1,121 59% 299,550 50,400 98% 1.9% 1,075 1,050

Average 204 3,740 63% 1,458,557 402,329 96% 1.7% 738 1,556

Total 612 11,219 4,375,671 1,206,986

21 VSLAs merged to form 5 RuSACCO in Eastern Cluster: PRIME has been supporting

Private Service Providers to establish and train village level saving and lending associations

(VSLAs). Nine Private Service providers established 72 VSLAs in Keberibayah and made them

to save and share out their savings. In this reporting period, PRIME team in collaboration with

Kebribayah district cooperative promotion office upgraded 21 VSLAs with a total of 231 (217

Female) members into 5 RuSACCOs and obtained their license after the members agreed to

merge their groups into RuSACCOs. This expected to better positions members to have access

financial services and additional loan for their members from formal financial institutions.

68

69

Summary of VSLA groups upgraded to RuSACCO

S.N Name of new

RuSACCO

Total

Members

Names of VSLAs

united under this

RuSACCO

# of

VSLAs

united

Address

Female Male Total Woreda Kebele

1 Dur-

Dur

61 1 62 Ayaan 5 K/bayah H/Sheik

Horseed

Dayah

Samo Jecel

Saredo

2 Barwaqo 71 4 75 Afteh 4 K/bayah H/Sheik

Wadajir

Mustaqbal

All-Barako

3 Hormud 49 1 50 Hodan 4 K/bayah H/Sheik

Alla Amin

Barwaqo

Adna

4 Ruman 36 8 54 All Ayaan 4 K/bayah K/bayah

Town Hogmal

Ruman

Rays

5 Habon 64 5 69 Midnimo 4 K/bayah K/bayah

Town Hawl Wadag

Samia

Hormud

Total 281 19 310 21

Refresher training for field agents (Southern cluster): To prepare PSPs in their task of supporting

group share outs and in their transition to certified PSP status, a second refreshment training was

provided for 28 field agents in Yabello for a three-day training in June 2016. The content of the

training included the following topics: share-out under various scenarios, and pricing of services

(menu, fee structure, pricing, service agreement, negotiation, dealing with non-paying group,

promotion and marketing of services and income modeling under various productivity

scenarios).

VSLA Cash Box Distribution (Southern cluster): PRIME distributed 31 VSLA cash boxes for 31

PSPs in Liben, Arero, Dhas, Moyale, Dire, Yabello, and Taltale woreda. The cash box is meant

to support VSLAs keep their savings in a safe box. Local suppliers for cash box production were

identified so that VSLA groups can find cash boxes for future purchase.

Stakeholders training on VSLA formation via PSP model (Southern Cluster): The training was

provided for key stakeholders such as Zonal and woreda level Cooperative Promotion Office

experts, OCSSCO officers and NGOs livelihood or financial service officers (NGOs which work

on inclusive financial services intervention in Southern cluster) in Borena and Guji zone. The

training was facilitated and organized in Yabello for eight days. The overall objectives of the

training were to encourage adaptation of the innovative PSP saving group model and promote

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collaboration among key stakeholders or institutions to improve the quality of financial service

available to communities.

Strengthening existing VSLA formation Via PSP model (Southern cluster): To strengthen

capacity of field agents, performance follow-up and technical support were provided to achieve

the following indicators:

Translate VSLA training into practice

Attain consistent and standard performance

Identify and correct VSLA performance gaps in a timely manner

Report on implementation progress in a timely and accurate way

Establish their reputation and credibility in their operating area

Build market demand for when they will be operating on a fee-for-service basis

Follow up visits indicate that PSPs are performing well but they are behind in terms of

organizing additional groups on fee basis and directions were provide to improve their service.

Financial Services: VSLAs/RuSACCO: Strengthening, Expanding and Linking performance

update

Strengthening capacities of rural savings and credit cooperatives (Eastern Cluster): PRIME

facilitated training and technical assistance for 27 RuSSACOs in Fafan and Jarar zones in Somali

Regional State. 242 members of management committees (221 women and 21 men) of 27

RuSSACOs were trained in eight rounds across eight districts. The objective is to sensitize and

train management committee members on improving the quality of their core services and

products and governance, as well as Sharia compliant loan product procedures.

Strengthening capacities of rural savings and credit cooperatives (Southern Cluster): PRIME

signed a cost share grant agreement with seven cooperatives. Out of these, three are from Guji

Zone (Liban, Wadara and Gorodola) and four are from Borena Zone (Miyo, Moyale, Dhas,

Arero). Recently, it is only two woredas that starting implementing activities (Liban woreda and

Moyale CPOs). The Cooperative Promotion Agencies in Liban woreda conducted assessments

and identified the main obstacle and problems, after which they provided training consultancy to

RUSACCOs. As a result, their membership has increased on average from 74 to 103. The total

number of members has increased from 591 (F 219) to 825 (F 350). The average individual

member regular savings also increased from 38 ETB to 60 ETB. Consequently, eight

RUSACCOs have managed to mobilize 162,580 ETB as additional total saving.

All eight RUSACCOs have developed four types of loans with

different terms and conditions: fertilizer loan, emergency loan,

education loan and business loan. Some of them started to

provide loans through cost mark-up. PRIME supported eight

additional RUSACCOs in these areas, one of them was Gudina

Walin saving and credit cooperative, located in Negelle Borena

town. Before this intervention, this RUSACCO had only

conventional one-year duration business loans that could not

meet the members’ demand as most are Muslim. The

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RUSSACO diversified its loan product and developed four type of loans with different terms and

conditions; fertilizer loan, emergency loan, education loan and business loan. Consequently, it

has disbursed 401,634 ETB interest free (cost markup) loan for 103 members. As the RUSACCO

has started to meet demand of members, it has increased its membership by 50% (from 282 to

423) and monthly savings amount by 4% (from 116 ETB to 120 ETB).

Liban Cooperative promotion office has provided training for 39 participants (F=33), including

the executive committee of eight RUSACCOs and an expert from the CPO office, on business

plan development and bookkeeping; while Moyale woreda Cooperative Promotion office

discussed with seven RUSACCOs on how to increase membership and product development. As

result of this; they have increased their average individual member regular saving from 25 ETB

to 45 ETB. Their total savings is 945,412 ETB.

Micro loans for over 1000 women start-up business facilitated by PRIME: PRIME- Mercy

Corps and ACPA team supported the Somali Microfinance Institution (SMFI) to facilitate micro

loans for 1180 women from different woredas of Somali region. SMFI provided

entrepreneurship and financial literacy training for the selected women while PRIME covered

operation costs needed for the training. At the end of the training, all women TOPs were linked

to SMFI and opened savings account. Following that, SMFI disbursed a total loan amount of

3,584,000 ETB as per individual business proposal. The participants regularly save with SMFI

monthly and will repay the loan monthly. Upon repayment of first round loan received, clients

will be eligible for another loan on voluntary basis.

Summary of loan for women

Description Female borrowers Male borrowers Total borrowers Total amount disbursed

ACPA 127 9 136 544,000ETB

MC 1039 5 1,044 3,040,000ETB

Total 1,166 9 1,180 3,584,000ETB

Linking solar suppliers with VSLAs through facilitating training for PSPs: Photo-voltaic Solar

Home System Technical and Business Skills training was provided for twelve PSPs/FAs and two

Yabello TVET teachers. The main objective of the training was to create access to solar products

and provision of after sales services through different sales outlet to reach to end users of large

pastoralists and agro-pastoralists community and creating additional marketing opportunity for

solar suppliers and income diversification for PSPs. The training was provided for 7 days, for

PSPs from Yabello, Liban, Gorodola and Wadara woredas. TVET teachers are included in the

training to maintain skills locally and to equip electronics department students with solar

maintenance skill and knowledge. The training was provided in collaboration with Dayod

Engineering.

The practical sessions conducted at training center involved field practical installation of one

30w-SHS at Higo Primary School as well as maintenance of one 600w- SHS-at Wachile Health

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Post. The activity has been facilitated through integration effort between energy and financial

service sectors of the PRIME EMD team.

VSLA PSP Methodology training for stakeholders (GO and NGOs): To equip stakeholders

with knowledge of VSLA-PSP methodology and share best practices and lessons learned,

PRIME provided five days training at Yabello town for 32 (F=2) participants invited from NGOs

(Save the children, Goal Ethiopia, CIFA, GPDI, AFD, Dorcas, ACF) and Zonal and Woreda

Cooperative Promotion Offices (Wadara, Goro Dola and Liban of Guji Zone and Dhas, Arero,

Moyale Oromia, Miyo, Yabello, Dirre and Teltelle) and MFIs. During the training participants

acquired knowledge on how VSLA PSP methodology work, Group formation and Governance,

Constitution, Saving, Loan and Social fund policies, record keeping, meeting steps, PSP timeline

and its phases (Preparatory, PSP and network). Finally, the participants acknowledged PRIME

adopts an innovative approach in the establishment of VSLAs and planned to include the model

in their future interventions.

Key Result 3.3: Market Access Expanded to Increase Employment Opportunities

Increasing access to agricultural inputs

18 agricultural input suppliers (twelve in Eastern cluster and six in Southern cluster) have been

supported through cost sharing small grants. After successful business expansion, these input

suppliers continue to supply different agricultural inputs. In this reporting period, 8,871

households (6,230 male and 2,841 female) have accessed various types of vegetable seeds,

improved cereal, pulse and forage seeds, farm tools and agro chemicals from these agricultural

input suppliers. Households invest around ETB 5,845,085 ($266,000) on improved inputs and

agricultural equipment. PRIME will continue to provide technical support, business

coaching/mentoring and data tracking in the coming year.

Number of businesses Households reached Transaction made

ETB Male Female Total

12 agri input business- EC 3,877 2,339 6,216 4,829,004

6 agri input business- SC 2,353 302 2,655 1,016,081

Total 6,230 2,841 8,871 5,845,085

Competitive grant for fish and fish product suppliers

In this reporting, PRIME supported Dhane Galgalo fish supplier around Negelle Borena to

complete business expansion and be ready to supply fish for urban consumers through two sales

points (in Negelle Borena and Melka Guba towns). The business is expected to create market

opportunity for three cooperatives engaged in fish. In the coming quarter the business will start

full operation by buying fish from cooperatives and supplying fish to end consumers.

Local seed business activity

In partnership with Jigjiga University, PRIME has supported nine model agro pastoralists to

produce improved potato seed variety named “Gudane” using irrigation in fafen valley. The seed

multiplication was done on two hectares of land and they will help other farmers’ access

productive potato seed in their locality. In this reporting period, the planted potato seed variety

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has been harvested. Construction of potato seed storage (Diffused Light Store) was also

completed for on-farm demonstration and seed storage. In the coming quarter over 220 quintals

of potato seed tuber were harvested and marketed to the community for planting in the coming

season. To scale up the activity, JJU organized three days training on improved potatoes seed

cultivation, harvesting and storage skills for 30 farmers selected from Jigjiga, Gursum woredas.

After the training a one-day field trip for the trainees was organized to demonstrate the

harvesting and seed quality management. Journalists from Ethiopian broadcasting cooperation

and regional television (ESTV) accompanied in the field day and prepared Program for field day

and training to broadcast the lessons learned to wider community.

Renewable Energy Sub-Sector Facilitation of Biomass Briquette Machine Demonstration/

Showcasing event: PRIME supported Girja Enterprise to facilitate a demonstration of Biomass

Briquette machine from 19 to 28 of May 2016 in four districts including Dire, Yabello, Moyale

and Liban. The objective of this intervention was to stimulate demand for the technology and

contribute to green energy production and usage in the cluster. Different stakeholders including

small business owners, youth and women were invited and attended the event. Besides

displaying a prototype of the machine, banner, broachers and produced sample briquettes were

used by Girja Enterprise to promote the technology during the event days.

With the assistance of zonal biomass energy expertise, visitors were given detailed technical

explanation how it works. Some sample briquettes were also given to small cafeteria and

restaurant business owners to test them. Approximately 1500 individuals visited the showcasing

in the four towns. At the end of the day, nine expressions of interest (three individual and six

microenterprises) for purchasing the machine were received by the owner of Girja enterprise. To

bring the technology into practice, PRIME may cost share at least three interested buyers from

the cluster.

Business performance of solar energy product regional distributers: PRIME monitored the

progress of businesses that received cost sharing grant, training, market linkage assistance and

other support from the project. Information was gathered on partner’s business performance such

as sales volume, value of sales and number of clients (households) reached through partner

private businesses during the quarter. In this quarter, the micro-solar energy product regional

distributors (DAYOD Engineering plc, Dinsefa Electronics trading and Google Computer

business) sold 101 products at ETB 81,626.

Summary of business performance of solar product distributers

Businesses name Quantity sold Sales

Dinsafa Electronics 9 7740

Google computer 88 60580

Dayod Engineering 4 13306

Total 101 81,626

Grain Threshing Service providers strengthening:- PRIEM has supported the creation of six

grain thresher service providers in Southern Cluster and Eastern cluster. Business performance of

these service providers during this reported period show that 745 HHs (72 female) have got the

74

service and the six service providers able to generate ETB 255,209 in revenue. These service

providers had also employed 28 (1F) individuals on average for 45 days.

Facilitation of awareness creation workshop on Improved Crop Storage Bag

To enhance agro pastoralists’ access to improved crop storage technologies in Borena and Guji

zones, PRIME has facilitated awareness creation workshop in partnership with Hashim Jemal

HiTech Trading House (Grain Pro’ Crop Storage Technology Supplier). The workshops held at

Yabello & Negele towns for two days in each location and 27(1F) participants have attended the

workshop. Seven (7) Agricultural input suppliers, 9(1F) private service providers (PSPs) as

potential sales agents and 10 government sector Zonal/Woreda Expertise were involved in the

workshop including one researcher from Oromia Agricultural Research Institute Yabello Area

Office. During the workshop the following topics were covered.

The workshop/training sessions were planned and delivered as follows:

Context review by brainstorming)

Introduction to Grain Pro Storage Technologies as Solution

Demonstration of products outside classroom (hands-on materials)

Feedback & discussion on how supply for the product can be expanded into the area

Facilitation of Grain Pro Crop Storage Bag Market Promotion Campaign

PRIME facilitated market linkage between Hashim Jemal HiTech Trading House (Grain Pro’

Crop Storage Technology Supplier) and Agricultural input suppliers (Jatani Seed Marketing Unit

at Yabello and Kifle agri input supplier at Nagelle Borana). Following the market linkage,

PRIME has supported agricultural input suppliers to conducting marketing campaign in main

market areas of Borana and Guji zone. Accordingly, the storage bag market promotion campaign

which last for two weeks (from September 15 – 29/2016) has covered 14 market places & six

agro-pastoral kebeles in seven project intervention woredas (Dire, Miyo, Teltele, Yabello, Goro

Dola, Liben & Wadera). Using local theater groups and pastoral development office and

employees of agri input suppliers, important promotion messages and training services have been

delivered for about 700 households. During the promotional campaign, more than 600 pieces of

the storage bags (100kg) sold and order for 300 pieces was gathered.

Forum facilitated to create linkage between vegetable and grain market actors

Vegetables and grain market linkage forum was facilitated in Negelle town to improve linkage

among major market actors, with the participation of 70 producers, traders, agro-input supplier

and experts from supporting government line offices from Liban, Gorodola and Wadara woredas

of Guji zone. During the discussion, vegetable and grain marketing bottlenecks were identified

and linkage was created among producers, agro-input suppliers and irrigation motor pump

maintenance service providers.

Agro-pastoralists and Development Agents received onion seed multiplication training

The training was conducted in Negelle town to improve the technical capacity and skill on onion

seed production for model agro-pastoralists, government experts/DAs and agro-input suppliers.

The training was facilitated partnering with Yabello dryland agricultural research center. 28

people (25 M and 3 F) participated. The training will significantly improve skills of agro-

75

pastoralists and contribute to the enhanced production and productivity of vegetable farming.

The follow up/monitoring of the training outcome will be reported in next quarter.

Training on fruit grafting techniques

In eastern cluster agro-pastoralists produce fruits as a source of income. Yet production and

productivity of fruit is very low mainly due to lack of improved fruit seedlings and adequate

technical knowledge/skill. PRIME partnered with Meseret Agricultural Consultancy to facilitate

a practical training on fruit grafting techniques for 29 agro-pastoralists selected from major fruit

production areas of the cluster. The trainees have acquired practical skill to raise improved fruit

seedlings locally. The trainees will be supported through cost shared competitive small grant for

establishment of private fruit nurseries so as to facilitate dissemination of various improved fruit

seedlings to the larger community.

Promote & Implement Efficient/Renewable Energy Technologies

Two locally manufactured Small Wind Turbines Installed in Afar Region

Following Phase 1 of the wind turbine project implemented in Jigjiga, a further two locally-

manufactured small wind turbines were built during phase 2 in

October 2015 and installed in Afar region through the

partnership with Wind Empowerment. A course was given by

Wind Empowerment instructors to a total of 24 (1 female)

staff, teachers of Samara University and private sector actors,

including hands-on training about wind turbine construction as

well as in-depth background theory relating to the technology

and implementation. During the two-week intensive training,

trainees manufactured two turbines, towers and electrical

systems. The turbines were installed in two separate locations,

one in a village called Sudan camp, Dubti woreda located 35-

40kms from Semera and a second one in Semera University

campus for research and education purpose.

The local shop of a rural settlement in Sudan Camp, was

electrified using a 3.6m rotor diameter locally manufactured

small wind turbine, installed at 12m hub height, and 600W of solar panels in order to provide

electricity for mobile phone charging, lighting and refrigeration of beverages in the shop. The

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off-grid electrical system consists of a 1000W inverter, a 24V 740Ah battery bank and a

diversion load charge controller. The small wind turbine used in the installation was

manufactured locally at Semara University during a 7-day course with 22 participants. Students

of the university participated in the course which included theoretical lectures on small wind

turbine technology and applications and practical workshops on small wind turbine construction.

The practical sessions were again organized in three working groups. The wind turbine was then

installed with the course participants in the rural community of Sudan Camp, along with the solar

panels and the electrical system.

Following the course and installation a presentation was given at Mercy Corps HQ to members

of staff and invited key industry player to summarize the outputs and achievements of the sub-

activity. Discussions were held between Mercy

Corps and Wind Empowerment staff regarding

the continuation of the project working on the

success and lessons learned from Phase 1 and 2.

Increased quality of Life for Sudan Camp

The availability of renewable energy in the local

shop for mobile phone charging, lighting and

refrigeration has increased the quality of life for

the villagers. The shopkeeper has additional

electrical power to increase his income which

will be spent locally further increasing the economic development of the local area.

Solar energy product regional distributers

PRIME conducted performance monitoring of

business expansion grantees in Southern cluster to

find out sales volume, value of sales and number of

clients (households). Accordingly, the grantee for

solar energy product regional distributer (DAYOD

Engineering plc, Dinsefa Electronics trading and

Google Computer business) and the cost-free

PRIME partner (HIDASIE TELECOM SC) have

sold a total of 68 products valued at ETB 102,644

and were able to reach more than 68 clients in this

quarter. Among function of solar system is mobile charging, where mobile charging service run

by an entrepreneur named Dawit in Borbor charges more than 200 mobile-phones per day.

In addition to distributing micro-solar lanterns through its agents for sale to households, DAYOD

Engineering Plc, has identified a new market segment for Solar Home Systems. This market

segment includes churches, mosques and rural schools that require larger systems. The partner

has hired one professional for Negelle and also changed its business premises to the center of

town so as to respond to the potential demand. Despite the supply shortage encountered for one

77

product of high demand, the partner keeps on working with previous agents as well as creating

new linkage with recently trained VSLA field agents.

Cook stove production and marketing promoted through a one-day regional workshop

In collaboration with Somali Regional State Mining, Energy and Environmental protection

agency, PRIME facilitated a one-day workshop for 32 cook stove value chain actors (12 female

and 20 men) to understand opportunities, market players and linkages in the sector. Participants

were drawn from traditional cook stove retailing enterprises, distributors, producers (individual

business and energy groups) and entrepreneurs from different woredas of Eastern Cluster and the

regional Energy Bureau. PRIME also facilitated an exposure visit for six model traditional cook

stove producers (all women) selected based on their active engagements in the sector and

willingness to improve their business linkages. The six women cook stove producers and

marketers visited Engela cook stove producers in Modjo, Adama and Awash and exchanged their

experiences while creating business linkages. Currently, PRIME provides coaching and

technical assistance to the women entrepreneurs who are currently preparing their business to use

these opportunities.

Regional Solar Distributor Performance in Eastern Cluster

As a result of past linkages facilitated by PRIME, Haji Abas who is a PRIME grant recipient and

acting regional solar distributor in Jigjiga, has created business linkages with Fosera

Manufacturing Plc and Robin Solar Engineering Company in Addis Ababa. With this linkage,

Haji Abas procured 85 more solar products and distributed to his retailers’ networks in villages

and small towns around Jigjiga. Haji Abas also developed linkage with village-based retailers in

Degahbour and reportedly sold solar products of about 45,000 ETB worth to the retailers.

Training on photo voltaic Solar Energy

In collaborations with Fosera Manufacturing PLC which assembles and distributes Pico Solar

Home Systems throughout Ethiopia, PRIME facilitated two days training for 26 local business

entrepreneurs (25 men and 1 woman) on Photo voltaic and basic technical knowhow of Pico PV

Systems. The objective is to capacitate the local saving energy businesses such like energy

saving cook stove and solar energy businesses in Somali Region, to be able to distribute and

maintain, and create large network retailers and dealers for the system.

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IR3 Priorities for Year 5

TOPs employability increased through life skills, financial literacy and entrepreneurship

training

Provide technical support for AGP poultry to select SMEs

Finalize the ongoing process of competitive grants for cooperatives of persons with

disabilities and conduct close monitoring of the implementation of the grant

Increased income opportunities for TOPs

Provide TA for all three MFIs

Finalize the cash transfer activity and monitoring in Afar cluster and Eastern Cluster

Support field team for strengthening the VSLA groups to convert into RUSACCOs

Market Access Expanded to Increase Employment Opportunities

Facilitate training and linkage of agricultural input suppliers with Addis-based post-

harvest crop storage bag suppliers

Documentation of best practices and lessons on agricultural input supply small grants

Facilitating and supporting agricultural input supply business expansion in south and

eastern cluster

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 4: ENHANCED INNOVATION, LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE

MANAGEMENT

Key result 4.1: Project performance enghanced through effective monitoring

Management Information System for PRIME: Ki-projects™ & Ki-metrics™

PRIME Management information systems (MIS) are comprised of web-based project

management, performance measurement and information dissemination software applications.

The MIS applications support PRIME’s efforts to foster project integration, mainstream results

based practices, increases quality and efficiency in activity design and promote transparence in

program business management processes. These applications include Ki-projects™ and Ki-

metrics™ for output and outcome level project management.

Ki-projects™

Customizations in Ki-projects™ continued FY16, including:

Creation of a new field to enter the number of hours of training for activities

implemented.

Updating the reporting formula to use the number of training hours in the field added in

the dashboard during Q15.

Including “other” trainings from IR5 in the calculation of the number of individuals who

have received agricultural or food security training.

Changing the system based on requests from IR4 leader for granting access to team

leaders to provide comments on CN initiation

Modifying approval rights and responsibilities for IR2 activities under Mercy Corps and

others as requested by IR4 leader and Chief of Party.

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Updating email addresses for Mercy Corps users when they migrated to

@mercycorps.org.

Made JAWS screen-reading software compatible with Ki-projects to allow people with

visual disabilities to use it in developing, reading and approving concept notes and

reports online.

Ki-metrics™: Institutional Database

An institutional database (IDB) was developed in Ki-metrics™ to monitor the progress of the

institutions supported by PRIME and which will serve as main data source for Feed the Future

and PPR indicators related to employment, financial services, number of enterprises and other

institutions supported by the project, and potentially hectares under improved management (in

consultation with IR2).

New features/customizations were also performed during FY16 in the IDB. Among them:

Changing the system to automatically produce date rather than entering it manually for

reporting purposes.

Modifying user edit rights to enable new staff to be able to edit records of staff that are

no longer working for PRIME.

Updating codes in forms to facilitate tracking of data entered by staff.

Restricting the system so only users entering the data can modify it but everyone can see

it.

Updating woredas and zones as per data provided by field staff.

Data Quality Checks

Kimetrica performed daily checks on Ki-projects data uploaded, listing information entered that

needs to be reviewed by field staff and submitted it to the IR4 team. Kimetrica also compiled

information from activities that need input data on the number of training hours from previous

quarters to update the dashboard. Kimetrica also performed daily checks in the Institutional

Database. In coordination with field staff, duplicated records have been deleted.

Data quality reports for Ki-projects were submitted for October and November 2015, Q13, for

January and February 2016, Q14 and Q15. KIMETRICA will submit Quarter 16 report during

first week of November and will be annexed to quarter 17 report. Kimetrica also submitted

PRIME IDB assessment reports cumulative up to November 2015, February 2016, March 15

2016, May 10 2016, June 22 2016, July 22 2016 and October 17, 2016.The latest report is

included in Annex 2.

Refresher Trainings

During Quarter 15, Kimetrica produced training materials to improve the use of Ki-projects, the

use of the IDB and approval processes. The training was provided in the three clusters:

Cluster Ki-projects IDB Approvers

Eastern cluster (Jigjiga) 34 13 4

Southern cluster

(Negelle)

36 34 10

Afar cluster (Awash) 15 16 5

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Annual Household Survey and Midline Survey The final version of the Annual Household Survey 2015 report and annexes was submitted

during Q15 to the IR4 leader (Annex 3). The midline survey report was finalized during Q16

(Annex 5). Presentation of results for both surveys were produced and discussed with partners

during the May and June 2016 partners’ meetings. Kimetrica developed briefs for both reports

and these will be published in the PRIME website once design is finalized. The most important

impact analysis for PRIME includes the following three results:

PRIME is associated with increasing dietary diversity of children aged 6 to 23 months

and pregnant and lactating women

PRIME is associated with increasing access to animal health services

PRIME is also linked with reducing drought vulnerability in high intensity areas in

comparison to low intensity ones.

Kimetrica deployed the necessary logistics for collecting the Annual Household Survey 2016

data. Data collection took place between 1 and 18 August 2016. Indicators for FY16 reporting

have been calculated though data for final number of beneficiaries is being updated in Ki-

projects to finalize calculations. The report is being drafted and will be delivered as expected at

the end of October 2016.

Year 3 PRIME’s partner and recipient assessment spot check

Kimetrica performed spot checks in March 2015 in all three clusters to assess PRIME

consortium partners and recipients, specifically looking at program data quality and the progress

of activity implementation and planning. At the recipient level, the objective was to assess

performance and compliance with the agreements signed with PRIME as well as to evaluate

partnership quality. The main findings included:

Data quality and data collection systems showed improvement when compared to the

results of past internal data quality assessments. Validity increased from 73 to 81%.

Data collection tools have also improved to include necessary features for data collection.

Particularly in EC, there was a lack of consistency in records in the reports as well as

across the systems (Ki-projects and Output tracking sheet), and limitations on how

impact beneficiaries are counted

Reporting timeliness was poor, with only 42% of reports submitted on time.

For recipients, the following were the key findings:

Most recipients complied with their key milestones (95% overall compliance) and are

mostly satisfied with PRIME’s quality of support and timeliness.

The main reason for dissatisfaction was the size of the grant given

Most recipients also find the impact of the support mostly positive, although some issues

for PRIME to review in the future were mentioned.

The results of the spot check were shared with partners several quarters ago, but the report was

not finalized until this quarter 16 due to competing priorities. Many of the recommendations

drawn by the spot check were taken on (including canceling the output tracking sheets,

increasing the frequency of refresher trainings) and the data quality for the program is now being

monitored daily, rather than as spot checks. The final report can be found in Annex 6.

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Series1 Awash 7

24% 23%

Series1 Dulessa

11% 10%

Gewan & Meteka

18%

Series1 Amibara

40% 38%

Series1 Argoba

12% 11%

Progress monitoring drought response interventions – Afar cluster

Mercy Corps’ LKM team visited eight livestock traders who signed a contract agreement with

PRIME to participate in the destocking process. The team also interviewed pastoralists of the

area during market days while they were selling their shoats to contracted sellers. Intermediate

successes and challenged were documented and actionable recommendations were shared with

program staff for their proactive measures – which were accordingly corrected, improving

program quality. Major achievements and challenges identified include:

Achievements

Almost 4500 heads of shoats were off taken from these markets.

Smart commercial subsidy helped to engage large livestock traders who were new to

these markets before the intervention.

Enabled local livestock traders to stay in the livestock market business contributing to the

sustainability of the linkage.

During June 2016 market observation, the market price of one medium size goat

increased by 200-300 birr compared to the price in April 2016, before the intervention.

Challenges

During the visit, almost all livestock traders involved in de-

stocking through smart subsidy were highly fixated in Worer

and Awash 7 town markets, which are very accessible for

transportation and nearer to destination markets. We

observed that only one trader based in Gachini town was off-

taking shoats from Argoba (Gachini) and Dulessa markets.

Both markets are far from the main asphalt road and

therefore represent higher transactions costs.

The LKM team shared their concern with the program team

and recommended to positively influence livestock traders to

participate in livestock marketing in these relatively

inaccessible woredas by providing appropriate information

about market price and volume so that the traders can see the

opportunities there.

Veterinarian vouchers intervention

To monitor the progress of veterinary products voucher scheme intervention in Afar national

regional state, Mercy Corps’ LKM team visited five PVPs and interviewed voucher recipients

that purchased vet products at participating PVPs to check the terms of trade and whether they

were following guidelines provided by PRIME.

During the July 2016 visit, none of the PVPs post veterinary products price list in their shop

which is vital for recipients to purchase at a fair price and for the woreda government to monitor

the market price. This was communicated to program staff who informed both the PVPs and

government authorities when needed. All PVPs have now posted the price list helping us monitor

any voucher induced price increase.

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During the visit, the LKM team also noticed inadequate communication with some PVPs in

Awash Fentale woreda: while vouchers had been distributed to 322 recipients, the three PVPs in

the area had sold very different number of products: Sofiya PVP had sold veterinary product to

210 recipients, Lucy PVP sold to 38 recipients and Awash PVP sold none. Lucy and Awash

PVPs complained that the main factor for their low performance was due to lack of timely

information from PRIME when the vouchers were distributed in Duho and Dudub Kebeles. They

perceived that Sofiya PVP got the information about voucher distribution schedule and used the

advantage to sell veterinary products during the same date and place.

The LKM team clarified to Awash and Lucy PVPs that number of vouchers distributed so far in

Awash Fentale woreda were only to 331 recipients out of 1500 targeted beneficiaries and

promised to discuss with the program staff so that they can get similar information. Accordingly,

the program staff met with these PVPs and planned together which greatly improved

coordination and implementation of the intervention.

Cash transfer program

With technical support from Mercy Corps’ headquarter research and learning team, the PRIME

LKM team, with collaboration from Haramaya University on the ground, designed a survey to

learn whether beneficiaries nutrition outcomes and coping strategies improve due to the

contribution of the cash transfer (including use of the cash), as well as to know whether the

savings culture improves after financial training and their satisfaction with Afar Microfinance

Institution. Enumerators were trained and undertook the survey in ten kebeles of three woredas

of Zone 3: 250 households were surveyed right after the second transfer to be asked about their

behavior with the first cash transfer and most of these were interviewed a second time about their

use and behavior after the second cash transfer (some households were not reached due to

migration). The preliminary findings of the survey have been shared with the program team and

the final analysis will be presented in Q17/18.

Market Actors Baseline

PRIME LKM team undertook a market actors’ baseline for livestock and veterinary drugs to

generate firsthand infromatin to be used for monitoring and evaluation of PRIME drought

emergency response interventions, understanding the contribution of PRIME and the impact of

the intervention on market prices, actors’ financial capacity, promoting legal business, market

access and linkages. Methods used included review of existing documents, field visits during

implementation, market observations and individual interviews with traders and PVPs. All

contracted PVPs and traders were interviewed; the team is analyzing the collected data and have

shared preliminary results with program staff. Final analysis will be produced early in Q17.

Progress monitoring drought response interventions – Eastern cluster

Market Actors Baseline

Similar to the tool used in Afar, this baseline survey data collection was conducted in June 2016

from 14 livestock traders and nine PVPs with whom Mercy Corps signed contracts for the

drought response in Eastern cluster. The survey covered six woredas in Sitti zone and the report

will be finalized in Q17.

Livestock Destocking in Siti Zone

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PRIME agreed with nine livestock trading institutions working in Afdem (Biki), Erer, Mieso

Somali, Shinile, Denbal and Hadegala for the emergency livestock destocking intervention.

PRIME’s monitoring team focused on identifying changes in the livestock market, sorting out

possible challenges that livestock trading institutions were facing as well as understanding the

sustainability of the linkage and destocking without involvement of outside support. Sample

qualitative data was collected from PRIME livestock destocking institutions working in Shinile,

Erer, Afdem, Mieso Somali and Dembal livestock markets. Quantitative data was collected from

PRIME’s EC EMD team. The qualitative data collected yielded the following results:

Changes in the livestock market: most of the interviewed livestock trader notified presence of

positive change in the respective livestock market especially on livestock price.

Challenges: access to feed is the main challenge all the interviewed livestock traders reported.

Price determination on the basis of livestock body condition was another challenge.

Lesson Learned: livestock traders who are originally from local areas have a high tendency to

sustain the business and the reverse is true for livestock traders who are not originally from the

area. Therefore, based on the finding, working with local traders for destocking can maintain the

sustainability/continuation of purchasing livestock from the local market.

Veterinarian voucher interventions in Siti Zone

The progress monitoring included discussions with each woreda Livestock, Crop, and Rural

Development Office. Based on the information obtained from them, the emergency response

intervention brought good coordination between different actors. For instance, in areas where

CAHWs are not available, government animal health technicians played a great role in helping

pastoralists better understand about the drug usage and supervise the activity progress.

Changes in the livestock conditions: interviewed pastoralists disclosed presence of positive

change in the livestock body condition, better health and productivity. The interviewed

pastoralists believe that the vet voucher intervention happened at right time to save the lives of

livestock. However, some of the vouchers distributed have expired without getting the intended

vet drugs Ruqi and Kurfasawa kebele of Afdem and Mieso Somali Woredas respectively.

CAHWs: CAHWs were one of the main co-implementers of this activity. CAHWs played a great

role including vet drugs distributions, giving awareness about use of vouchers and helped the

community with information about drugs usage and provided services for a charge.

Major Challenges: The interviewed PVPs believed there was a gap between voucher distribution

and veterinary drug delivery period. As a result, some of the beneficiaries did not come to

receive the drugs and searching them took time.

Recommendations: another vet voucher intervention can establish a sustainable network among

veterinary input suppliers and users like livestock owners, CAHWs, PVPs, wholesalers as well as

boost the technical and financial capacity of the local veterinary vendors like CAHWs and PVPs.

Progress monitoring of regular interventions

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Machinery Operators Training - Afar

The Afar cluster is facilitating a second round machineray opreation training for 100 people (98

male, 2 female). The trainees are from six woredas of Zone 3 based on selection criteria set by

AISDA as follows: unemployed and above 21 years old; having a grade 8 certificate; can cover

their living cost during the training time; and they must be pastoralists looking to transit out of

pastoralist life.

While the trainee profiles were well documented, AISDA closely followed the training, training

materials were provided, and attendance is properly taken; the training is given only by one

instructor and one assistant. The theoretical part can be done with this limited number of

instructors (on a shift bases), but it is difficult to do practical training for the 100 trainees. There

is also a delay on traine entry and from the names in attendance it is possible that up to 25% of

the trainees are either non-Afari or non-pastoralist. Moreover, woreda administrations influence

replacement of trainees after the training has started, which affects in turn the quality of the

training. The woreda administrations did not send formal leters when they wanted to change the

trainees. A longer selection period for the scholarship opportunity may allow woreda

administration to look for Afari communities to provide this assistance, creating also more

awareness of these communities to the opportunity. The MOU to be signed between AISDA and

the woreda government on selected beneficiaries cannot be changed after the training has started.

RUSACCOs support in Eastern cluster

The EC LKM team conducted performance monitoring on RUSACCOs in four woredas of

Somali region (Awbare, Araso, Dhegabur, and Birkod). The team observed their performance,

progress, bylaws, internal loans and repayment procedures. Documentation and savings

mechanisms, scheduled calendar meetings, agendas and proceedings were also checked to ensure

they were properly documented.

The general obsrevation of the field visit was that most of the visited RUSACCOs are operating

well in strengthening their financial systemand improving their income through internal loans,

however, there are some RUSACCOs that are not progressing as expected and need support in

mobilizing resources and creating profitable business. Some of the RUSACCOs made slight

improvements in modifying their bylaws to restructure it through day to day learnings, the loan

payment procedures are based on Islamic Principles where interest-free service are offered to all

members as they implement internal loan payment systems.

The three leading RUSACCOs (horsed, Alla-amin, and liban) have strong documentation and

have even created linkages with other RUSACCOs creating unions. Their capital has reached

about 940,000 ETB. The remaining RUSACCOs however are not very strong as they have been

recently established and have less capacity systematically and financially. Islamic financing has

been strongly accepted by the community and can be easily implemented. Free interest rates of

internal and external loans are now strongly progressing. RUSACCOs have already startd

dealing with SMFI for loans.

Birkads Construction and Ponds Excavation

The PRIME LKM team monitored the progress of the construction of Birkads in kebeles in

Gashamo and Kebribeyah woredas. The team found delays in the implementation of the works

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by the companies contracted which led to the PRIME IR2 team to meet with the contractors –

one company was delayed due to lagging payments, but the other companny promised to

mobilize contstruction materials within a short period of time. Communication with kebele

leadership and community representation was also found imporatnat to avoid disagreements over

the progress and expectations. Frequent oversight of the progress of construction is also

necessary.

In quarter 16 there have been new developments in construction of Birkas in Kam-omer and

Ballimedgan kebeles of Gashamo. The contractor reported that due to financial challenges they

could not finish the work. The contractors payments based upon an inventory of the work

completed thus far, and based upon an engineering evaluation. To this end, a team composed of

IR2, IR4 and representatives from the contractor went to Gashamo to assess the accomplished

construction work.

Progress Monitoring on Adoole Geel Listenership group

There are two modalities of listening to the Adoole Geel drama by the targeted community: the

first one is that those LG living in Faafan zone have access to Jigjiga FM and therefore, listen

based on pre-schedule airtime, memory card has been distributed to others who live in Siti and

Jarar and listen to the drama at agreed meetings.

The EC LKM team conducted progress monitoring on the Adoole Geel Listenership group in

identifying groups’ attendance, participation and practices. The monitoring looked at Adoole

Geel messages, identified and measured the listening frequencies, changes in the targeted areas,

and sorted out possible operational/technical challenges that the listenership group might have,

as well as understanding the knowledge and practice of the community towards good nutrition

practices.

The attendance of the interviewed listenership groups has been good. The groups pointed out that

Adoole Geel Radio Drama helped the community understand good nutrition practices in the

household and improve the awareness of the community towards household nutrition. There

have been times when the Faafan FM radio is out of air for technical reasons and as precaution

memory cards were provided to Faafan zone LG so that they don’t miss the topics in the air.

Most interviewed listeners said they listened to the show 2 to 3 times per month

Lesson Learned: most of the LGs were able to recall the topics transmitted including maternal

health, child feeding (1000 days), dietary diversification, and animal health/feed which are

crucial in child and mother nutrition investment. These LGs are regularly practicing the

messages transmitted and encouraging others in the community to do the same.

Jobs tracking sheet Based on last year’s USAID’s Data Quality Assessment for PRIME, the team took the

suggestion from the assessment team to develop a better way to capture jobs attributed to FTF

implementation. The PRIME IR4 and EMD teams prepared a jobs created data collection

template to fill out with the support from private sector partners. Three templates were

developed, and field staff were trained to test the formats in Eastern and Southern clusters. Field

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staff provided feedback and forms were finalized. The final version is attached in Annex 10 of

this report.

Mapping Barwaqo Milk Processing Factory’s distributors and retailers

The Eastern cluster’s IR4 team conducted a mapping of Barwaqo’s milk distributors and retailers

in Jigjiga (22 retailers) and Dire Dawa (2 distributors and 29 retailers). Data for two months of

milk distribution was also collected from retailers and distributors, showing that 14,179 bottles

of camel milk (500ml) and 614 bags of cow milk (500ml) were distributed in Jigjiga, of which

10% of camel milk and 23% of cow milk was spoiled and returned to Barwaqo. In Dire Dawa,

10605 bottles of camel milk of which 2% spoiled and was returned to Barwaqo.

The IR4 team also interviewed distributors and retailers and identified the following setbacks:

Promotion of Barwaqo milk processing factory’s products is limited. This hindered

people’s understanding about the availability of pasteurized camel and cow milk in the

market

Short shelf-life of pasteurized camel and cow milk was possibly due to the uneven milk

distribution frequency as well as city electrical interruptions – the latter especially makes

distributors and retailers hesitant to take in large quantities of milk.

Limited visibility. Some of the large camel and cow milk retailers have not signage for

their shops.

Key result 4.2: Project decision making and adaptations based on strong evidence

El Niño Resilience Research Initiative

To understand the contribution of PRIME interventions towards building resilience in Faafan

zone, Mercy Corps regional resilience hub and the learning technical support unit at Mercy

Corps headquarters are carrying out research in four woredas of the zone. While similar to what

TANGO is doing around Jigjiga town, this research is meant to look at different geographical

areas and provide a ‘baseline’ with planned follow-up surveys to observe resilience capacities in

PRIME target households and communities. PRIME provided some support to this resilience

research, assisting with technical and programmatic inputs.

The Eastern cluster LKM team conducted the qualitative data collection portion of the study in

Awbare, Babile Somali, Kebribayah, and Harshin woredas. Prior to the data collection, the team

selected sample kebeles, recruited two women data collectors (to complement the two male EC

LKM officers) and trained all of them on the data collection tool. In the eight selected kebeles,

83 interviews were completed between key informants, including 12 government offices, 17

community leaders, nine SMEs, six NRM councils, four VSLAs, and 19 positive deviants; as

well as 16 focus group discussions (8 male/8female).

Mercy Corps’ Learning Unit at headquarters selected Green Professional Services to collect

quantitative data during the quarter 16 which has been analyzed (along with the qualitative data).

Writing is underway after preliminary results were shared with the PRIME SMT and will be

finalized in Q17.

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SenseMaker

With matching funds, PRIME tested the SenseMaker application to measure and monitor

attitudes and behavior change for its nutrition work in all clusters. An initial pilot of the tool was

done in FY14, through which lessons and recommendations were drawn to improve both the

framework and procedure for story collection. During FY15, PRIME expanded its use of

SenseMaker to cover NRM activities and the nutrition soap opera.

During quarter 16, the IR4 leader, with the support of a core team of IR5 and IR4 team members

and advice from a Narrate Consultant, finalized the analysis of stories collected around the soap

opera for Southern Cluster. The learning brief has also been developed.

Eastern cluster collected 60 nutrition stories in Gashamo, Afdem and Hadigala with the support

from HAVOYOCO’s circus groups and 70 stories on natural resource management from Harshin

and Deghabou districts (no stories on the soap opera were collected as broadcasting in Somali

region has not yet started) early in the fiscal year. Southern cluster collected 60 nutrition stories

fromo three kebeles, and 100 stories in Dire, Miyo and Yabello woredas of Borena zone for the

soap opera – as part of the last story collection after the last (20th

) episode of the drama. The Afar

cluster collected 140 natural resource management stories from Gewane and Amibara woredas.

These stories are in the process of being analyzed.

Market Facilitation Approach Monitoring

Mercy Corps and CARE, with technical assistance from Practical Action, developed tools to

monitor PRIME’s market facilitation approach in order capture the effects of PRIME

interventions. The PRIME team is pursuing three monitoring pilots in Somali region (financial

services, traders/brokers, and animal health services) to track changes in two key areas –

crowding in/replication and improved quality of market relationships.

Practical Action consultant Luis Osorio-Cortes, visited Ethiopia to conduct interviews with the

IR4 and EMD teams, and to document the process and learning from the pilot. The final

documentation and learning brief report can be found in Annex 7.

Key result 4.3: Policy information base strengthened

During the fiscal year, Haramaya University continued or finished several research pieces, which

have been annexed to this report (Annex 11). Below a quick summary of the research:

Policy and Practice in Land Administration and use in pastoral areas: analysis of implications

on development interventions in the three clusters

The research focused on the gap between policy/law and practice in land use structure in pastoral

communities, and provided alternative approaches for land use policy and legal structure that

will better suit pastoralist needs. Data was collected from key informants, households, and

secondary sources in July and August 2015 in Afar and Eastern clusters as the LAND project is

researching in the Southern cluster. Some of the key findings and opportunities found include:

There is demand from the local community to work together with formal institutions in

policy implementation

Existing land policy and laws, if implemented, will enhance the realization of land use

rights of pastoralists

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Strengthening collaborative environment between the customary and formal institutions

is key to better implement land policies and for the betterment of the pastoralist

community.

Land policies and laws in Afar and Somali regional states have not been implemented as

planned. In the case of Somali region, it should be supported to issue regulations and directives

to improve implementation of land laws in the region.

Analysis on Micro and Small Enterprise Policy

This research analyses existing FDRE government policies, laws, plans and programs on MSEs

with particular emphasis to the three clusters, identifying good practices for enhancing

entrepreneurial engagement of pastoralists and suggeting possible ways of improving existing

policy andd practice in MSE policies and legal frameworks for pastoralist communities wehre

PRIME is operating.

Some of the recommendations under this policy research includes:

Revising the current MSE policy to ensure pastoralist areas also benefit from it

Scaling up effort to privde skills training for MSE operators and for those looking to start

their own

Improving access to finance for MSEs epsseically in Afar regional state

Increasing the credit ceiling imposed on MFIs so that MSEs can get sufficient startup

capital

Creating conditions for MSEs to get a rewarding market for their products and services

Strengtheninig the link between TVETs and MSE so that technologies generated by the

former can be put to a production process by the latter.

Rapid assessment of impact of drought occurrence on TOPs number, distribution and

employability and livelihood of pastoralists (under IR3)

This assessment’s findings include:

Limited financial Access

Access to finance is very vital issue to allow pastoralists access to and success in other economic

activities. However, most households have limited access to finance, even from RuSACCOs. As

the table below illustrates 96 (70.6%) of respondents do not have cooperatives in their vicinity.

Availability of Cooperatives

Availability of Cooperatives Number Percentage

No 96 70.1

Yes 41 29.9

Total 137 100

More importantly, from those who have a cooperative in their vicinity (41) only 17 of them are

members of the cooperative and only 3 of them received loans from their cooperative.

TOPs Number and their Direction of Influx

One of the major observed impacts of this drought is the increase in number of pastoralists

transitioning out into another economic activity and/or migration to another places. From the

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sample households, 92 (67%) have at least one family member move to another economic sector.

On average about three members of the family moved to another sector from these households.

The table below shows most of them moved to be daily laborers in their vicinity and other

places. Other economic activities include mat making, village shops, petty trade (mostly onion),

and weed clearing.

Economic Activities of New TOPs

Types of Economic activity Number Percentage

Daily Laborer 40 43.5

Charcoal making 5 5.4

Permanent government worker 4 4.3

Other Economic Activity 43 46.8

Total 92 100

Recommendations

TOPs would benefit from organizing in cooperatives, particularly in financial

cooperatives, to break the vicious circle of financial shortage trap.

Majority of TOPs move to non-skilled economic activities like daily labor. This creates

over supply of labor and low wage rate in effect. To solve or to minimize this problem, it

would be better to give them a short term training based on the available demand in the

locality.

Cost benefit analysis of community-based climate change adaptation strategies in the lowlands

of Ethiopia: the cases of Eastern and Afar clusters

This research found that migration is still one of the best net return adaptation strategy practiced

by pastoralists in the long-run. Months of food availability affected almost all adaptation

strategies and households with more experience raising livestock are less likely to use irrigation

and crop variety selection. For pastoralist communities, support for water harvesting,

rehabilitation of degraded land and migration requirements/options are needed; whilst for agro-

pastoralists, development of irrigation schemes, disease and pest control are the most vital

requirements to expand their agriculture.

Haramaya is finalizing reports or collecting data for the following research:

1. Comparative cost analysis of locally produced animal feed and fodder and opportunities

for introduction of specialized feed and fodder crops in pastoral and agro-pastoral areas

(IR1)

2. Assessement and Development of short-term teaching curricula and materials to animal

health assitants and technicians in Eastern cluster (IR1)

3. Entrepreneurship incubation centers capacity asseessment in PRIME intervention areas

(IR3)

Key result 4.4: Information dissemination and coordination improved

Learning briefs and Case Studies

During the period under review, the team finalized a learning brief PRIME’s market systems

facilitation approach benefits vulnerable households, and a case study on PRIME’s partnership

with RENEW private equity services. The PRIME IR1 and IR2 teams visited Siti Zone to

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produce learning briefs on the emergency interventions (commercial destocking and veterinary

product vouchers). The process and procedures followed were documented, as well as major

achievements, challenges encountered and lessons learned. During the visit, the team had

discussions with livestock traders, government line offices, PVPs, and beneficiaries.

IR4 and IR5 finalized the Soap Opera for Social Change Learning brief, which should be

available in Q16, along with a brief on SenseMaker® results for the Soap Opera in southern

cluster. These six learning briefs can be found in Annex 7.

Mercy Corps’ Technical Support Unit on Climate and the Mercy Corps East Africa Resilience

Hub supported PRIME in the write up on a series of case studies on how PRIME and Mercy

Corps Ethiopia and partners have integrated climate change adaptation in their programming,

and the tools they are using to achieve so. The series of four case studies were titled:

Experiences and lessons in climate change integration

Integrating climate change into market-based development programming

Insights on how to operationalize climate integration

Experiences from Ethiopia and the Mercy Corps’ PRIME program

These can be found in: http://www.mercycorps.org/research-resources/climate-resilient-

development/case-study-series

Market-based approaches for marginalized populations

The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) will be including PRIME’s work with people with

disability as an example of market-based approaches that benefit the most marginalized. Mercy

Corps’ IR3 and IR4 teams in collaboration with ECDD put together the case study. IDS will be

summarizing the example and finalize the write up during PRIME’s Q17

BeamExchange Annual Conference

PRIME worked with the BeamExchange team to collaborate in their annual conference (May

2016). Netsaalem Bahiru, IR3 advisor, moderated a session on challenge funds in development

projects. His participation was co-financed by the BeamExchange and PRIME.

Meetings, blogs, webinars and newsletter stories

Joint Program Cell meeting

PRIME (Michael Jacobs, COP; and Diana Picon, IR4 leader) participated in the latest JPC

meeting which took place in Addis Ababa from 14 to 16 June 2016. The meeting meant to help

inform USAID in the planning process for development of a new resilience framework (2017-

2021). Michael Jacobs also presented on PRIME’s resilience contributions.

BeamExchange blogs

Diana Picon, former IR4 leader was invited by BeamExchange and VECO to participate in a

peer-to-peer learning event to share experiences in using SenseMaker® in market and systems

programs. The event, which took place in Belgium from 26 to 27 October 2015 brought together

projects from different regions and organizations focusing on how to improve the use of

SenseMaker®. Ms. Picon wrote a blog to this effect for the BeamExchange website summarizing

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the key learnings from the event. The blog can be found in:

https://beamexchange.org/community/blogs/2015/11/19/SenseMaker®_prime/

Lorenz Wild, former Senior Economic Technical Advisor for PRIME, also wrote a blog in the

BeamExchange website on whether the market systems approach can be used in both thin and

nascent markets – and/or whether activities should differ in these two environments. The blog

can be found in: https://beamexchange.org/community/blogs/2015/11/17/nascent-thin/

BeamExchange staff also produced, with technical support from PRIME’s IR1 and IR4 teams a

snapshot on our approach to nutrition outcomes through a feed/fodder intervention in drought

areas using the crisis modifier approach. The blog can be found in:

https://beamexchange.org/practice/snapshots/prime-ethiopia/

Frontlines Story

PRIME submitted a story to USAID to be published in Frontlines magazine. The article, entitled

“Healthy Animals for Resilient Households” demonstrates the important contributions the

expansion of PVPs is making to building resilience and enhancing nutrition. The article can be

found in https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/frontlines/resilience-2015/healthy-animals-

resilient-households.

Internal communication and coordination

Second round of PRIME research findings presentation – Afar cluster

Haramaya University presented to PRIME staff the results of ten research papers written for

PRIME to 60 staff and stakeholders in Afar cluster. The topics are:

Rapid Assessment of Impact of Recent Drought Occurrence on TOPs Number,

Distribution and Employability and Livelihood of Pastoralists(IR3)

Assessment on Energy Efficient Stoves Market: The Case of Eastern, Southern and Afar

Clusters (IR3)

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Community-Based Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in

Lowlands of Ethiopia: The Case of Eastern and Afar Cluster (IR2)

Analysis of the Value Chain and Marketing for Animal Feed Supply Chain (IR1)

Milk Market Research: Challenges and Opportunities for creating efficient milk

marketing chains for pastoralists in the three PRIME clusters (IR1)

Assessment of National Animal Disease Surveillance and Reporting at Regional and

Federal Level: Challenges and Opportunities (IR1)

Research on the cause of pre-weaning morbidity and mortality of calves, lambs and kids

in the three PRIME clusters (IR1)

Policy and Practice in Land Administration and Use in Pastoral Areas: Analysis of

Implication on Development Interventions in Afar and Ethiopian Somali regions (IR4)

Analysis on Micro and Small Enterprises Policy in PRIME areas (IR4)

Disability Inclusion in Policy Framework: Policy Analysis on Inclusive Pastoral

Development(IR4)

Intranet/Website

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Kimetrica addressed all vulnerabilities USAID identified in the PRIME website, with the

exception of one issue related to the presence of an administrative directory – which is normally

expected from a content management system such as WordPress. In order to address this issue

Kimetrica would need to limit users from accessing the login page or restrict access only to a

limited network. The IR4 leader suggested keeping this access as is as the risk score with this is

low for USAID.

Marking and Branding

IR4 provided a 2-hour orientation to the IR1 and IR3 teams on USAID branding and marking

issues during a meeting the Economic and Market Development team had in Addis Ababa. A

preliminary plan of activities in the clusters that need branding and marking was also developed

in the session, which was further refined to guide the support of the Communications Specialist.

PRIME participated in a Feed the Future branding and marking presentation delivered by

USAID. The project is highly encouraged to start applying Feed the Future guidelines for

branding. Mercy Corps has communicated this request to all partners during the last partners’

meeting and will work with USAID to ensure the project follows these new guidelines.

External communication and coordination

Poster Event

On November 18, 2015 PRIME organized a successful poster session to show the achievements

thus far and gain stakeholders’ buy-in and feedback. The event, called “Resilience in Action:

Creating Opportunities in Ethiopia’s Dry-lands,” brought together about 150 participants

including regional and federal government representatives, members of the donor community,

non-governmental organizations, resilience experts and private sector members shared successes

and challenges in building resilient households in pastoralist areas of Ethiopia. Along with

posters from each IR technical team (Annex 5), PRIME private sector partners (IIF recipients)

were in charge of tables either displaying their products or to discuss how PRIME’s support has

impacted their business and beneficiaries in the areas where we implement.

After the event, PRIME sent an online survey to participants to get their impressions on the

event, how informed they felt about PRIME, and what components were the most

important/relevant to them. After this feedback and the one-to-one conversations held during the

event, the PRIME team believes the event was extremely successful.

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Presentation of Research

Mulugeta Getu and Workneh Kassa attended and presented a paper in an ‘International

Conference on Resilience, Research and Innovation’ held in Djibouti on October 26-28, 2015.

Over 70 papers were presented that addressed a wide range of issues with special emphasis to

challenges of ASAL communities in IGAD member states. In addition to presenting one of

Haramaya’s research for PRIME findings on the importance of livestock insurance for

pastoralists, PRIME was repeatedly mentioned as an example for its efforts in building long-term

resilience of communities.

ATLAS/TANGO coordination:

Thought Leadership and Learning Project (ATLAS) is working toward the development of

adaptation decision-making tools based on the particular needs of USAID, its partners and the

adaptation community. The main goal of this work is to test and build a robust methodological

toolkit to support improved decisions on the use of climate change financing in development

programming. The assessment utilizes two projects funded under USAID/Ethiopia’s Feed the

Future Programs (PRIME and GRAD) to test a series of tools for selecting – from among a range

of potential adaptation options – those that are most effective in terms of meeting development

outcomes. During the reporting period, PRIME collaborated with ATLAS/TANGO by providing

access to ki-projects for the costing piece of their study, and arranged for meetings in Southern

cluster and Eastern cluster for the TANGO consultant to have key informant interviews with

beneficiaries and local government.

IGAD/JaRco review: On behalf of Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), a

team from JaRco Consulting undertook a review of cross-border pastoralist programs/projects in

Ethiopia and Kenya to forward recommendations that would facilitate smooth implementation of

projects that are targeted to benefit communities living along the cross borders of the two

counties. IR1 and IR4 leaders met with JaRco to discuss the learnings from PRIME (which was

also designed based on RAIN learnings).

REAAP – M&E feedback

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Catholic Relief Services’ REAAP activity completed its baseline survey and met with other

USAID partners to present its results and seek recommendations in setting targets, especially due

to the drought situation in their areas of implementation. The PRIME IR4 leader attended this

meeting and provided inputs to their baseline information and targeting exercise.

GAAP2 proposal

USAID, in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the International Food

Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), is developing a project-level version of the Women's

Empowerment in Agriculture Index (Pro-WEAI), and invited USAID partners, including

PRIME, to apply. After submitting a concept note and receiving questions from IFPRI, PRIME

realized that the timelines GAAP2 required were not possible to fit into the project’s M&E plan.

Presentation and Publication of Research

Three Haramaya University research reports were presented at a national workshop on “Building

Resilience and Reducing Vulnerability in Moisture Stress Areas through Climate Smart

Technologies and Innovative Practices” which took place in January 2016 and was organized by

Haramaya University in collaboration with ZOA. The workshop had 130 participants from

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universities, national and regional institutions and NGOs. The papers presented were on climate

change hazards, early warning indicators and user requirements for forecast information; policy

analysis on land use and administration; and analysis on micro and small enterprise policy.

PRIME supported the 4th

national conference on “Science and Technology for Sustainable

Pastoral Development” which took place from 26-27 March 2016 at Jigjiga University. The

conference had 110 participants from universities, research centers, regional bureaus, Federal

Ministry of Pastoralist Development Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources,

amongst others. Two researches were presented by PRIME; one on feed value chain and

marketing and another on inclusive financial services.

The proceedings of Haramaya University Research findings have been published under the title

“Proceedings of Research for Enhancing Pastoralists Livelihood through Resilience and Market

Expansion” and is being distributed to stakeholders and federal and regional level. PRIME

partners and USAID have received copies during quarter 15.

Haramaya University also supported the “International Workshop on Camel Dairy

Technologies” of which the IR1 team also participated.

Key result 4.5: Two-way communication channels strengthened

Annual Government Review Meeting - Afar

Afar cluster has conducted its Year 3 annual review meeting from December 9 to 11 2015 at

Awash Town Genet Hotel. Fifty external participants from regional and woreda level

government partner, AMFI, private enterprises, milk collectors, NRM councils and clan leaders

participated in the meeting. Each intermediate result (IRs) presented their progress versus plan to

the participants, Addis Kidan milk processing enterprise and Afar MFI also did a 15-minute

update at the meeting.

Addis Kidan milk processing enterprise presentation EMD team presentation

Lessons learned

Share a clear plan with budget and targets of the year in order to strength partnership and

increase the project accountability to the government and beneficiaries.

Plan and reports should be shared timely for both woreda and regional governments

Every team member has to work and update the woreda PADO and Administrative bureaus

after or before each activity is implemented in the woreda

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Unplanned promises should be avoided when staffs have discussion with government

partners

On this particular review meeting we invited private sector recipients, clan leaders and NRM

councils, and this created a more open and transparent discussion

Opportunities

PRIME interventions were well accepted by the community and our private sector beneficiaries,

if we increase our effort to have the full support of the government PRIME can bring a better

impact in its future intervention. Inviting private sector beneficiaries, clan leaders and NRM

councils is really important for review meetings – it made the meeting very interactive and

created learning opportunities.

Creation of a repository library

The PRIME Afar team deemed important to have a repository in which staff could exchange

information easily without the need to be online (as connectivity is an issue in Gewane). The

repository library has now been created and will be maintained by the LKM field level advisor in

Afar, though full access (reading and writing) will be given to managers and IR advisors, while

other staff will have reading rights only. The repository will host all important project documents

to be shared amongst staff, preventing their loss when staff leaves or computers are damaged,

will centralize printing and will allow transfer of large documents.

Joint monitoring event in Guji Zone

The joint monitoring event was organized from 23 to 25 May 2016 in Guji zone to share

PRIME’s achievements and implementation progress, listen to stakeholders’ views, and involve

them in the processes of monitoring and implementation. 18 zonal and woreda level project

signatory offices head, including DDPB, Cooperative Promotion, Women and children Affairs,

and TVET office attended the event. During the first day, a presentation of achievements so far

and challenges met were presented by PRIME field level advisors including Haramaya

University and ECDD representatives. During this session, participants asked questions for

clarifications on different issues and made suggestions on how some things could be improved.

A poster session was also part of the event, allowing each IR representative to give a quick

presentation to attendees and respond to any questions or comments made.

On the second and third days, field visits were organized so participants could interact with

recipients, teachers, and beneficiaries (such as a person with disability who obtained a short-term

scholarship). In Liben woreda, participants visited Kifle Agricultural Input business, Abdi Milk

Collection and distribution center, DAYOD Engineering PLC (solar product wholesaler),

Negelle TVET College, Dhungo pond, and Maliyicha well construction site. In Wadera woreda,

the team visited Udo Genale Feedlot business; Buze and Soliana Milk Collection and distribution

centers. Some of the key recommendations from participants include:

PRIME project needs to erect signboards at Dhungo pond and Maliyicha well

construction sites

Strong follow-up needed for private businesses that received grant from PRIME project

to see whether they are implementing in the agreed principles or not

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It is recommended to balance activity implementation among project implementation

districts e.g. milk collection and distribution center does not exist in Gorodola district

PRIME project should assess the level of operational success of donated equipment to

Negelle TVET College

AGP project representative in the field should give desired level of support for SMEs

Short term scholarship training for Person with Disability activity intervention needs to

scaled up and if possible start training in Wadera TVET College

PRIME project alternative energy interventions should also incorporate biogas and bricks

making activities

PRIME project partners need to work in apiculture management in Wadera woreda

including linking producers with existing local and national honey markets

Frequent interaction with government experts would be required to spread PRIME

approach and implementation process and achievements

PRIME partners should give further consideration on how the project impacts and lessons

documented and disseminated to stakeholders

There is a need to promote fish eating habits to pastoralists communities taking into

account the nutritional benefits

It is necessary to organize demonstration day/ field visits within the woreda to scale up

livestock fattening business in PRIME implementation districts

Joint Monitoring visit with Government stakeholders in Afar

PRIME Afar cluster held a joint monitoring visit with regional sector bureaus from September 26

to October 2/2016. Regional Pastoral Agricultural Development bureau (PADO), Finance and

Economic development bureau, Environmental protection and land use administration, disaster

prevention and food security coordination and representatives from the regional council

participated in the visit.

Each field level technical advisor presented PRIME’s accomplishments in the last four years of

implementation, to give a full picture of the project to participants. After the presentation,

participants reflected that their opinion was that PRIME focused its implementation in accessible

woredas, that grant activities benefitted the private sector and gave little attention to

cooperatives. NRM activities, they said, did not include land use administration personnel in the

woredas, or consult the regional bureau and woreda administration during site selection and this

may create conflict between the regional government and the communities if rehabilitated sites

fall under areas which the government has selected for investment.

After the briefing day the team visited the project sites during six days.

Major issues raised by the Woreda Bureau heads:

The project is not willing to disclose its budget to the woredas.

No joint planning with sector bureaus and even the one prepared by the project is shared

with woredas very late and it is not understandable.

PRIME is only working with the community not with concerned woreda administrators.

PRIME has a lot of capacity building activities, but physical activities are very few.

The project has performed well on the NRM activities.

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The veterinary voucher scheme is not accomplished in Amibara because the project staffs

were not willing to discuss the issue and bring a solution on time.

Gelealo woreda was out the crisis modifier program without a justification to the

government

During the drought crisis its PRIME that give us first hand support other than any

institution in the zone.

In addition to the visit to all woredas the team visited Addis Kidan milk processing enterprise.

During the visit to Addis Kidan, the team tried to solve the complaint raised by the milk collector

cooperatives, that the enterprise is refusing to accept milk from the cooperatives and collecting

from outside of the project intervention areas. The enterprise explained that sometimes the

supply is beyond its capacity and also the cooperatives are not suppling quality milk, they are

mixing goat and cow milk. In addition, the enterprise explained the difficulties that it faces

regarding power supply to make the enterprise functional and the regional team took the

assignment to discuss this with the regional Electric power bureau.

The regional monitoring team has also mentioned that the agreement between the enterprise and

the milk collector cooperatives needs to be amended to include some articles that can benefit the

cooperatives more. The team also suggested that the enterprise should use a word from the local

language for its official name that can represent the region.

On the final day the regional team debriefed the PRIME team. They concluded that PRIME has

done a significant work on NRM, but other activities are focused on capacity building so it has to

focus to add other physical activities in the remaining period. They really appreciate the Addis

Kidan milk processing enterprise and believed that it will create a better market opportunity for

the pastoralists. Plans should be submitted timely and developed jointly in the future. Site

selection for NRM activities has to be done together with the land administration office. In

general, the team emphasised that the project has a strong communication with the community

and has get their trust also but regarding partnership with government bureaus it has to work

more in the remaining time.

SMS Platform

PRIME SMS platform has been functional for about six months since it’s launching in early

2015. The IR4 team has used the platform to collect data from PVP grant receivers. However,

the team realized that the required data was not collected up to the expectation because of bad

mobile network, where recipients were responding to questions but too late or duplicated. Thus

Mercy Corps PRIME LKM and nutrition discussed and initiated to use the SMS platform for

disseminating key nutritional messages to PRIME beneficiaries.

The PRIME nutrition team held a short meeting and discussed how to manage the SMS platform

for nutritional message dissemination. The team has agreed to change from two-way

communication to one-way communication due to above described pitfall. Besides, the team

agreed to disseminate the key messages only to some targeted groups like RLCM, SAA, VSLA,

and RuSSACOs and health extension workers indiscriminately. To this end the team set two

phases in which the first phase is pre-testing the SMS platform by sending text nutritional

message to PRIME teams and government experts from ESRS regional health bureau followed

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by the actual dissemination of key messages to the above mentioned target groups. Now EC

PRIME LKM and nutrition team are developing key messages and translating them to the local

language. The pre-test and actual key messages dissemination will be accomplished in the next

quarter.

IR4 Priorities for FY17

Finalize Annual Household Survey 2016 report

Develop a qualitative study to better understand results seen in Afar and Somali regions

Collect data as part of AHS 2017 and provide the necessary information for FY17

reporting

Transfer PRIME’s website to Mercy Corps by October 31, 2016

Transfer Ki-projects and Ki-metrics data by March 31, 2017 to Mercy Corps in-house

TOLA system

Finalize write-up for Mercy Corps resilience study in Fafan zone

Analysis and write up on emergency response surveys (cash transfers and market-based

activities). Second round of data collection for CTP in Afar and first and second round of

data collection for CTP in Siti.

Finalize SenseMaker® analysis and write up for NRM and Nutrition.

Present SenseMaker® findings and Ki-projects poster at the American Evaluation

Association Conference 2016 in Atlanta, GA.

Key result 5.1: Knowledge, Awareness and Practices around Household Nutrition

Adoption of MIYCN Training Manual and training for MOH core members

PRIME engaged a private consulting firm to lead the development of Maternal Infant and Young

Child Nutrition (MIYCN) training tool kit. The consulting firm and PRIME Nutrition team

engaged with the respective regional government health bureaus starting from the formative

research stage through the review and adoption, to the contextualization of the Maternal Infant

and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) training toolkit material. The tool kit was translated into

Oromifa; Somali; Amharic and Afari languages. Health workers (HW), health extension worker

(HEW) and community health volunteers (CHV) are now the main users of the toolkit. The

toolkit consists of the Trainer of Trainer (TOT) manual, participant manual, community

volunteer guide, and community volunteer counselling cards.

In developing the MIYCN training toolkit, the consulting firm reviewed various Infant and

Young Child feeding (IYCF) reports as well as maternal health manuals and guidelines directly

related to the maternal infant and young child nutrition produced nationally and internationally.

The consultants carried out pastoral-focused formative research to collect information on area-

specific cultural and social norms that may hinder proper uptake of MIYCN services by

communities. The MIYCN toolkit development process was a four-tier process that utilized the

top to bottom approach. The consultants developed the MIYCN Trainer of Trainers (TOT)

manual and it was validated by the MOH core team. Validation occurred during the TOT

training organized by PRIME for 25 core trainers from the three regions’ health bureaus and

PRIME’s nutrition partners (3F).

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The MIYCN TOT manual aimed to enhance the knowledge, attitude and skill of participants on

optimal breastfeeding; optimal complementary feeding; maternal optimal nutrition practices

during pregnancy and lactation; effective counseling skills in the pastoralist and agro pastoralist

areas to promote maternal infant and young child nutrition; and on adult learning skills to

cascade similar skills to the community level health workers/HEWs. Based on this training

strategy, the core groups cascaded the same training to woreda health supervisors and the trained

supervisors gave the same training to the HEWs. The HEWs then cascaded the training to

community volunteers and together they offered real time and ongoing counseling services for

community members on MIYCN. Due to the development of this manual, MIYCN interventions

were harmonized and the capacity of government health staff was built to enhance the provision

of proper counseling on MIYCN for community members. This whole process created an

improved system for offering effective, correct, and appropriate counselling for all pregnant and

lactating women (PLW).

MIYCN woreda level health worker ToT training

The MIYCN TOT training for HEW Supervisors was conducted for four consecutive days in

each of PRIME’s operational regions. MIYCN trainers certified during the MIYCN core group

trainings facilitated the training. The objective of the training was to provide basic skills and to

facilitate further cascade trainings to HEWs.

Woreda level supervisors have the additional responsibility of supervising the overall process of

MICYN and will act as the focal person for the PRIME project. Through this training 86 HEW

supervisor (11 Female and 75 Males) received this skills training in Afar, Oromia and Somali

regions.

Woreda-level MIYCN TOT participant

MIYCN cascade training for HEWs

A three days MIYCN cascade-counseling training for HEWs in project target woredas of Somali,

Afar and Oromia regions took place and reached 388 HEWs (164 male and 224 Female) using a

context-specific MIYCN training guide and flip cards adapted by the PRIME project. The health

extension supervisors, who had received MIYCN TOT training in collaboration with PRIME

staff, organized and facilitated this MIYCN cascade training. The training methodology implored

theoretical MIYCN concepts as well as practical cooking and counselling demonstrations.

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The content of the training focused on optimal breastfeeding, optimal complementary feeding,

and maternal optimal nutrition practices during pregnancy and lactation, effective MIYCN

counseling skills and adult learning skills to cascade similar skills to the community-level

volunteers.

HEW practical cooking demonstration during cascade MIYCN training

MIYCN cascade training for Community Volunteers To improve the knowledge and skills of the community volunteers in Afar and Oromia regions,

the adopted MIYCN training package was delivered on nutrition counseling of the maternal

infant young child nutrition to 280 (73 Male and 207 female) CHVs participants. The training

was practical with the intent to improve and promote the good/positive practices regarding the

maternal infant and child nutrition. The training was designed to benefit both illiterate and

literate trainees with the full knowledge and skills to support households with pregnant, lactating

women and children under two, about specific nutrition messages. Developing the skills

required to deliver key nutrition messages and nutrition counseling services for the communities,

was part of the training curriculum.

CHV training in Oromia region

Cascading training on MIYCN Model households

The trained HEW and Volunteers cascaded the MIYCN counseling and cooking demonstration

activities to 6813 participants (3227 men and 3586 mothers). The counseling was aided by using

previously developed MIYCN SBCC material like the HEW counseling cards, volunteers

counseling cards, mothers action cards and posters.

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HEWs cascading the training for community volunteers and Women to women groups

Community Conversation events on MIYCN PRIME’s nutrition team facilitated Community conversations (CC) that evolved around MIYCN

care and practices for proper nutrition of PLW as well as for children under two. The community

conversations were initiated to improve and promote the good/positive practices regarding the

maternal infant and child nutrition. They also focused on ways to avoid bad nutrition practices.

The conversations were participatory and involved both men and women. The community was

shown a six-minute MIYCN music clip and a one-minute TV spot about the first 1000 days,

before the community conversation started. The videos triggered a discussion of nutrition issues

among the audience. The PRIME MIYCN music clip and one-minute 1000 days TV spot were

developed using the formative research findings about key barriers to MIYCN. They were

developed to guide and promote the adoption of appropriate positive behaviors for Oromia

communities.

Community Conversations in Oromia region

Community conversations were facilitated in 5 kebeles in Liban, Gorodola and Wadera woredas

of Guji zone and 3 kebeles in Yabello, Dire and Moyale woredas of Borena zone. Conversations

benefitted 2800 community members (1450 female) through 23 events. In order to reach large

audiences with key nutrition messages the nutrition team also distributed the music video clip

and the TV spot on CDs for health offices. The videos were then displayed in waiting rooms to

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people visiting health facilities. In total, 270 Compact Disks (CDs) were produced and

distributed to health offices/centers in PRIME woredas of both Borena and Guji zones.

During this year, PRIME’s nutrition team organized 14 community dialogues on nutrition and

WASH in Fafan, Siti and Jarar zones with various groups established by PRIME such as the

rangeland council members, VSLA and Community Health Volunteers. The objective was to

improve the water sanitation and hygiene practice in the households and to explore the primary

barriers related to proper utilization of WASH practices. The dialogues addressed 420 people

with key messages around WASH and nutrition.

Transmission of the MIYCN music video clip via Yabello FM radio.

Yabello FM further reinforced this initiative, using their radio channel to broadcast these

materials at no cost to the PRIME project. This collaboration with Yabello FM and the Oromia

RHB and Zonal office to broadcast the developed materials has helped in reaching a wider

population.

Development and productions of SBCC Material

PRIME’s nutrition team conducted formative research to assess the gaps regarding nutrition-

counseling materials. No materials were found that were contextualized for the different lowland

regions where PRIME works. PRIME’s nutrition team in conjunction with a consulting

company then developed the context specific MIYCN SBCC materials during this reporting

period. The materials included a one-minute TV spot and a six-minute music video focused on

the concepts of 1000 days, MIYCN counseling cards for HEW, MIYCN counseling cards for

volunteers, MIYCN mother action cards, MIYCN poster and WASH posters, and publications of

articles on Siffsin magazines series.

During the El Niño response, the SBCC team developed posters and flyers for mainstreaming

nutrition into the cash transfer project. Each beneficiary received a flyer that promoted

consumption of a diversified dietary; saving cash in a bank account or buying feed or fodder for

your animals.

Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) Training of Trainers for health workers

The PRIME nutrition team from the southern cluster, in coordination with Borena and Guji zone

health offices, conducted the Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) TOT for HEWs. The main

purpose of this training was to equip frontline health workers with skills and knowledge to

improve maternal child health and nutrition counseling. These trainings conversely strengthened

the health communication services at both health facility and community level. All training

participants (health extension workers) from different kebeles of Wadera; Gorodola; Liban and

Dillo woredas centrally gathered at the district level for the trainings. Forty-six (46) HEWs (1

man and 45 women) trained and the facilitators trained health professionals from Regional

Health Bureaus and Zonal Health Offices. Trainings were facilitated using ENA national

guidelines. Trained HEWs will now be able to provide proper counseling for pregnant and

lactating women during the critical periods at health posts and further cascade the ENA trainings

to community members.

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Cascading the ENA Training to Community Level

PRIME’s Nutrition team in collaboration with the respective regions and woreda health offices,

cascaded ENA training at the community level and reached 3065 (1978 men and 1087women).

These ENA cascade trainings primarily targeted community leaders to provide them with skills

on how to facilitate ongoing dialogue to enhance community level counseling and community

support group on the seven key action messages for ENA. Messages focused on exclusive breast-

feeding, adequate complementary feeding for children 6-23 months with continued breastfeeding

for at least 24 months, adequate nutritional care of sick and severely malnourished child,

adequate nutrition for women, prevention of vitamin A deficiency for women and children,

prevention of anemia for women and children and prevention of iodine deficiency for all

members of the households. Trained health extension workers who received the ENA TOT

training facilitated this community level ENA cascade training. The training participants vowed

to utilize ENA for their own households and further reach pregnant and lactating women in their

communities. Formal linkages created between HEWs and trained community level participants

for further technical support and follow up on their day-to-day work at the village level.

MIYCF training for influential and religious leaders

In all the three clusters PRIME’s nutrition team, in coordination with zonal and woreda health

offices, facilitated two-day trainings on Maternal Infant and Young Child Feeding (MIYCF) for

religious leaders and influential community members. Through this strategic training, 99

influential and religious leaders benefited; of these 15 were women and the rest men. The main

objective of this training was to provide basic knowledge and skills around MIYCN to engage

influential and religious leaders in promoting the importance of infant and young child feeding

practices and the concept of the “First 1000 days”. This was a consented effort to address one of

the key “influencing group” for PLW based on the barrier analyses survey results. In addition,

these trainings created a platform for supporting health workers and community volunteers in

challenging barriers and significant behavior determinants that propagate undesired behaviors

like social norms, taboos and other typical knowledge gap issues.

Nutrition add-on training for Range Land Council Members

Considering that, the underlying causes of malnutrition are multi-sectorial; PRIME focused on

adding nutrition orientation or sensitization trainings for the different non-nutrition groups

organized by IR2 and IR3. In a bid to operationalize multi sector involvement in addressing

nutrition issues, the PRIME nutrition team in collaboration with other IRs organized nutritional

add-on training for 116 (97 men and 19 women), rangeland council members 645 VSLA

members (271 males, 374 females) and 117 SAA group members. To maximize adult

concentration; participatory facilitation skills were employed. Two-way communication; flip

chart presentations; group discussions and demonstrations were among some of the utilized

methods. Trainings covered the basics of nutrition including the 1000 days concept, dietary

diversity to improve knowledge, attitude and practices around nutrition, and the role of men in

maternal and childcare.

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MIYCN Add-on Training for the Social Action and Analysis group and other groups' leaders

Nutrition add-on training for Integrated Functional Adult Literacy (IFAL)

In the Afar cluster, the Nutrition team (IR5) in collaboration with the Alternative Livelihoods

team (IR3) organized nutrition add-on trainings for teachers selected to facilitate Integrated

Functional Adult Literacy (IFAL). Nutrition add-on trainings prioritized IFAL because of the

existing institutional avenues as well as the clear structures and potential for reaching more

community members. To strengthen the layering of activities and to ensure maximum impact,

IR3 and IR5 developed joint training schedules on refresher trainings for teachers on IFAL and

nutrition add-on topics.

The IFAL program is implemented in five woredas of Afar and the nutrition add-on was

conducted with selected teachers in the same woredas and benefited 57 (50 males and 7 females)

teachers. The training methodology used a participatory approach including group discussion,

demonstration and role-play. Nutrition topics covered included exclusive breastfeeding,

complementary feeding practices, feeding the sick child, maternal feeding and the role of man or

husband in maternal care and childcare. During the training participants received a facilitators’

guide or reference materials for cascading each topic to the community level. Development of a

double action plan to blend nutrition messages with their day-to-day activities was a commitment

made by participants to support PRIME’s nutrition behavior-change process. During the same

reporting period, IFAL teachers reached 1259 (698 men and 561 women) community members

through cascading of these topics.

Cooking Demonstration – on Preparation of energy and nutrient dense complementary feeding

by IFAL

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Nutrition Ad-on training for Emergency program beneficiaries The PRIME nutrition team reached cash transfer recipients and supplementary feeding program

beneficiaries through Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) messages in Somali

and Afar region. The nutrition messages/counseling was to promote informed use of cash/food

transferred on indispensable and lifesaving purchases/uses, such as diversified food items for the

families, purchasing of fodder/feed for milking livestock as well as the benefits of saving of cash

at the locally available financial institutions. The MIYCN counseling and the BCC sessions were

integrated with the cash transfer beneficiary registration sessions and combined nutrition and

cash transfer through fliers, posters and MIYCN counseling cards that reinforced nutrition

messages. Accordingly, 7514 cash transfer beneficiaries (3479 male and 4035 Female) benefited

from the cash transfer activity. Similarly, 20,188 (13,786 female and 6402 male) targeted

supplementary feeding program (TSFP) beneficiaries benefited from nutrition counseling in

targeted woredas of Somali and Afar regions.

Promotion of Dietary Diversity

Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture (NSA)

Several studies have shown that Dietary Diversity is positively associated with overall dietary

quality, micronutrient intake of young children and household food security. A higher DD has

also been associated with better nutritional status of children in developing countries including

Ethiopia. Pastoral communities have always been associated with very low dietary diversity

values because family diets are mainly associated with milk and meat products but less fruits and

vegetables. As such, the PRIME project embarked on promoting household production of

vegetables meant for household consumption. PRIME encouraged the key-hole gardening

(KHG) approach that utilizes grey water and perma-gardens for those households with access to

greater amounts of water.

Keyhole Gardening (KHG) Training and Promotion

PRIME’s Nutrition team conducted a 3-day TOT on Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture for 16 (14

men and 2 females) AEWs supervisors selected from targeted woredas of Afar regions. Key

Hole Gardening and Vegetable Gardening continued as part of improving dietary diversity

through improving vegetable access for pastoralist households. During this year, 681 community

members (411 men and 270 women) in Afar cluster were reached through the promotion and

training on KHGs. The team promoted the importance of building the KHGs as well as giving a

practical demonstration on how to build a KHG at the kebele level. Sustainability, as a core

principle, was operationalized through skill-enhancement of Agricultural extension workers,

woreda level representatives from Health Offices, Pastoral Agricultural development officials,

Education officials, and Women Youth and Children Affair officials. Community members,

agricultural extension workers, and woreda experts constructed 30 KHGs as demonstration sites

in Afar. Somali region trained 60 DAs on NSA from Shinile, Erer and Mieso/Mulu woredas of

Siti zone. Each DA cascaded the training to five (5) community members who, in addition to the

training, constructed KHG in their backyards. The total number of community members reached

with this activity was 150.

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Field Level Training for the community how to construct a Key Hole Garden

Permagarden Training for PRIME targeted the Model Households

In the Somali region the nutrition team selected 35(2M, 33F) Model HH beneficiaries in

Gurzum, Fafan, Jijiga and Hadaw of Fafan Zone as pilot beneficiaries for Perma-gardening. The

selected beneficiaries received three days of theoretical and practical training regarding the

objectives and the techniques to develop a Perma-garden; and support to construct their own

Permagarden.

During the year 4, six thousand and seventy (6070) community members from project-targeted

woredas of Afar, Oromia and Somali region received skills training on nutrition-sensitive

agriculture that focused on food handling and safety, post-harvest storage, KHGs and Perma-

gardens.

Community-based cooking demonstration event

PRIME’s Afar Nutrition team organized

community-based cooking demonstrations along

with promoting keyhole gardening (KHG) at the

household level. At harvest time for most

vegetables (spinach and Swiss chard), the team

organized the cooking demonstrations to use what

was growing in various high-nutrient/energy

dense recipes. The cooking demonstration events

took place in Awash Fantale Woreda, Doho

Kebele and Amibara Woreda, Worer High

school. The participants (especially the pastoralist

women) were grateful for sharing recipes that

could help them improve household nutrition.

Practical demonstration on cheese making and tomato paste preparation

Mango Jam, tomato paste, ketchup and peeled tomatoes

Preservation training A three-day food preservation training took place in the Afar Region for agriculture extension

workers (AEWs), HEWs, and Nutrition focal persons selected from 4 woredas of Zone 3. The

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preservation training reached 29 (19 male and 10 female) government sector staff. The training

focused on theoretical and practical demonstrations of fruits, vegetables (tomato puree, peeled

tomato and Mango Jams) and milk preservation (making cheese). The training also covered food

hygiene and environmental sanitation, introduction to food preservation, food preservation and

processing techniques. Trainees learned preserve various items as a strategy to reduce post-

harvest losses that are rampant in most Ethiopian rural communities. During the training, the

PRIME project staff collaborated with Addis Kidan Milk Processing Enterprise to demonstrate

milk preservation (changing milk to cheese) techniques. The 29 agricultural extension workers

(AEWs), HEWs and nutrition focal persons are expected to cascade the training to 1200

community members.

Practical demonstration on cheese making and tomato paste preparation and Mango Jam,

tomato paste, ketchup and peeled tomatoes

Promotion of Hygiene and Sanitation for Improved Nutrition

In this year, the government of Ethiopia declared an outbreak of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD)

in some parts of Oromia region. The OR Health Bureau coordinated partners working in these

areas to support a timely response. The PRIME nutrition team and BCC team in partnership with

a local theater group and in collaboration with local government and other non-government

organizations organized 13 WASH campaigns reaching 7150 people (3547 female and 3603

male) community members. The promotional campaigns on hygiene and sanitation focused on

the critical hand washing times. Hand washing was promoted to improve handwashing practices

hence prevent diarrheal disease for improved child and maternal nutrition.

Promotional campaign on the ‘First 1000 Days’ PRIME’s nutrition team, in collaboration with zonal health offices of Oromia and Somali regions

conducted 17 promotional events on the first 1000 days. The promotional events conducted in

partnership with a local theater group in Oromia benefited 7775 (4850 females and 2925 males).

To gauge participants’ understanding of the conveyed desired behavioral messages; PRIME used

“question and answer” sessions soon after the drama performance. Havoyoco using its circus

team conducted 18 edutainment’s shows in 19 kebeles from 11 districts of Fafan and Siti zones

of Somali region. These edutainment activities conveyed four messages on “the first 1000 days”,

dietary diversity, investment in animal health using quality animal drugs, and promotion on

fodder conservation, preservation and purchase. The edutainment reached 17,450 individuals

(5419 M, 11,961F and 5817 HH) from pastoral and agro-pastoral households. Of the individuals

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reached, 3,838 were lactating mothers, 399 were pregnant women, and 172 people had

disabilities.

Nutrition awareness campaigns through school clubs

Nutrition awareness campaigns were conducted by the school club members who were trained

by PRIME on youth-drama performances delivering the key nutrition messages of “the first 1000

days” and diet diversity. School club members reached audiences totaling 3159 (1612 female,

1547 male) people in Oromia.

School health -club drama performance

SOSC radio drama production and broadcasting The Nutrition and BCC team finalized the production and promotion of Soap Opera for Social

Change (SOSC) or the serialized radio drama. It is part of the PRIME BCC strategy to promote

the main PRIME nutrition messages. HEWs and schoolteachers in the PRIME operational areas

received a copy of the broadcasted recordings to use as ongoing dialogue with different

community members of Mirgituu drama in Oromia. In order to gather various community

feedback about Mirgitu season 1, the team conducted rapid community reflections in the

Southern Cluster. Some of the pertinent findings from this rapid assessment included the

Soap Opera Drama Posters for Somali, Oromia and Afar regions respectively

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community’s eagerness to support production a season 2 drama; that would also include climate

change and market systems as new emerging themes. Soap opera radio drama in the Somali

language is entitled “Adoole Geel” has been broadcasting via Jigjiga FM 99.1. In the Afar

Region is broadcast through Argoba FM and Ethiopian Broadcasting cooperation.

SenseMaker®

• PRIME uses SenseMaker® software to

collect information on what listeners

value and regard as important, based on

their recollection from a story they can

relate to the soap opera episodes. Data is

analyzed through triads and dyads to

learn if messages and characters were

being well-taken by listeners and learn

what in the messages was important to

listeners. This could then help the team

design future messaging/programming,

and make sure that listeners accept the

characters, the way they interact, and the way messages are communicated.

Key findings summarized below:

• The overwhelming majority (90%) of people felt positive/strongly positive about their

stories. There were no strongly negative feelings from storytellers.

• Stories referred to the five (5) key messages the soap opera is trying to get across. Most

storytellers talked about livestock health, followed by nutrition and women decision-

making.

• Men and women remembered stories about livestock vaccination. Pregnant women

nutrition stories were remembered more by women than men. Both men and women had

the least interest in economic-decision-making.

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PRIME Soap Opera for Social Change Reflection Meeting

PRIME’s nutrition and SBCC teams held a three-day reflection meeting of Soap Opera for Social

Change (SOSC) in Addis to draw the road map for SOSC season 2 based on the lessons learned

from SOSC season 1. All nutrition and key IR4

staff, along the PRIME’s senior gender advisor

attended the reflection meeting. During the

meeting, the strengths and weaknesses of the

three PRIME nutrition soap operas (Adoole

Geel, Tekem and Mirgituu), the production

process, and the broadcasting and functionality

of radio listenership groups (RLG) were

discussed. The IR4 team also presented

information about the SenseMaker Survey for

Mirgitu.

SOSC season 2 developments

PRIME’s SBCC team is in the process of producing season two (SOSC 2) of the soap operas

consisting of ten episodes and two feedback sessions.

Second season SOSC Pre-production

In order to develop an entertaining program that also has consistent and correct messages, the

PRIME team followed the 'radio design document' approach. In this approach, PRIME

organized a participatory workshop with content experts, audience members and creative persons

to clarify the audiences, provide rationale, objectives, purpose, a format and the key messages for

SOSC2. The five (5) day design workshop

had 35 participants from regional and

zonal government offices and members of

PRIME’s consortium partners. A design

document was developed and it’s serving

as a ‘roadmap’ for the writers and

producers developing the drama and the

live feedback sessions. The story lines and

treatment of all episodes was completed

including translation of five episodes into

the three (3) local languages. The

production of SOSC 2 will be finalized in

the first quarter of year five ( 5) of the PRIME project and should start airing at about the same

time.

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Nutrition Booth at International SBCC

Summit

The first inaugural international Social

Behavior Change Communication (SBCC)

Summit was held in Ethiopia with the theme

“Elevating the Science and Art of Social

Behavior Change Communication.” Three

PRIME nutrition team members participated in

the summit. PRIME had a booth displaying its

SBCC and the team had opportunities for cross

leaning in the field of SBCC.

Key result 5.2: Increased/Sustained Availability of and Access to Milk & livestock products

Improved Availability and Quality of Animal Feed for Nutrition Fodder promotion for milking

animals during dry season

The two feedback sessions for Tekem, that the Afar team organized, mainly focused on fodder

and animal health services. In the two sessions, livestock and animal health experts provided

summary keynotes around messages broadcasted on the first 10 episodes of the TEKEM radio

drama. Their technical advice guided discussions on the importance of fodder conservation and

seeking animal health services for increasing livestock productivity with a focus on improving

household nutrition. Following the broadcasting sessions, all RLG members (130 individuals)

engaged in community conversations for two rounds/two consecutive week’s issues on fodder

and animal health services.

Community Dialogues on the use of Concentrated Feed

The Somali nutrition team with the support from development agents organized community level

dialogue on use of concentrated feed. The objective was to create and increase the demand and

utilization of concentrated feed for dry season. Concentered feed promotion was on usage of the

dried straws/stover mixing with urea or molasses and keeping the nutritive values for long time.

Through this approach, households will have access to feed in dry season hence sustaining milk

production from milking animal and guaranteeing milk access for children. The dialogues were

supported by demonstration and experts’ technical briefing sessions on how to prepare the

concentrated feed and 280 pastoral and agro-pastoral model households benefited.

Feed Production and Conservation Training

Feed Production and Conservation Training was conducted in Shinile and Erer woredas for 140

model agro–pastoral households and 10 development agents. The training was meant to provide

model households with modern methods and ways of feed productions and conservation that can

support them for increased and sustained milk production from their livestock particularly during

the dry season to protect the nutritional status of household. The trainees are expected to improve

their feed production and conservation practices and cascade these to other community members.

Improved equity in HH decision-making

During the fourth year, the PRIME nutrition team in collaboration with women and child office

Borena zone, conducted two promotional events on equitable household decision making for

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improved nutrition. Promotional events, conducted in partnership with a local theater group,

benefited 1,100 local community members (650 women) at Boku and El-Woya villages of the

Borena zone. Live dramas and question and answer sessions mainly conveyed the desired

behavioral messages during the events. The major aim of the promotional events was to promote

the value of joint decision making between couples in prioritizing of household resources and

especially food expenses. PRIME’s equitable decision-making research showed that more

resources in the hands of a woman would translate to an improved household dietary diversity.

As such, these campaigns aimed at advocacy for more financial empowerment of women, which

would translate into improved household nutrition and conversely improved child and maternal

nutrition.

PRIME’s nutrition team in Afar conducted nutrition outcome events in Argoba and Dulessa

woredas aimed at empowering women in household decision making. Edutainment using

Inkitino, a local theatre group, entertained the communities with music, songs and dramas. They

led the edutainment sessions and Women and Child Youth Affairs chairpersons also participated.

The Question & Answer (Q&A) session during the event improved the attitude of the

communities in empowering women to increase their share in househld decision-making

incuding prioritizing household income for better nutrition outcomes of the family. In total 1100

community members (350 men and 750 women) were addressed by the promotional events in

the two woredas.

Argoba and Dulessa Woredas promotional events

Key result 5.3: Strengthened Local Capatcity for Supporting Improved Nutrition

TOT on PRIME Youth Drama Performance

PRIME’s team collaborated with woreda education officials by organizing a TOT training for

local government staff to link PRIME’s drama with the school clubs as part of a sustainability

strategy. An international consultant with experience in intergenerational theatre performance

facilitated the training, which was held in Jigjiga town with 20 participants selected from Afar,

Southern and Eastern clusters. The participants consisted ministry of education’s Cluster

Resource center (CRC) school club leaders, circus and theater group leaders, education bureau

experts and PRIME’s social and behavior change communication practitioners. During the TOT,

PRIME senior gender advisor also presented on how best the TOT can be gender sensitive.

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Participants were provided with hard and soft copy of the PRIME youth drama handbook for

their reference during the skill cascade trainings. Cluster specific groups presented action plans

of cascading the gained knowledge to their school club members so that they can perform future

dramas on PRIME’s nutrition behavior messages for the school and surrounding communities.

Cascade Training on PRIME youth drama performance The PRIME nutrition team facilitated a three-day drama performance and cascade training for

school clubs and school supervisors to engage school clubs in live drama performances.

Accordingly, this training benefitted 542 school club members, school directors and Integrated

Functional Adult literacy (IFAL) leaders from selected schools of Somali, Oromia and Afar

regions. About 108 students and 18 teachers were reached through school clubs training on 1000

days and dietary diversity, and for 9 school clubs in Jigjiga, Kebrabeyeh, Awbare and Harshin

woredas of Somali region. The objective of the training was to change the nutrition

misconceptions existing at household level. In particular, misconceptions related to lactating and

pregnant women.

Workshop on nutrition coordination with Government sectors

This year the Borena and Guji nutrition teams, in coordination with Borena Zonal health office,

organized a nutrition coordination workshop. Thirty-six representatives from the woreda and

zonal levels including PDO, Women and child, Education, Health, and Economic and Finance

government sectors, attended the workshop. The coordination workshop was a platform for

supporting inter-sectoral collaborations among government sectors and a way to enhance the

engagement of each sector on nutrition-sensitive interventions based on the national nutrition

program of the country. All sector offices reported how the PRIME project supported them in

understanding nutrition-sensitive interventions and enabled them to change perceived attitudes

about the importance of the interventions on addressing the underlying causes of poor nutrition.

They mentioned that they appreciated learning skills for implementing nutrition-sensitive

interventions for their sector. The workshop concluded on a high note with the development of a

joint action plan between PRIME and government sectors.

PRIME Nutrition sensitive initiative including WASH

School nutrition and health clubs are some of the institutional avenues the PRIME nutrition team

uses as entry point to reach the vast majority of communities with basic nutrition messages.

Equipping school nutrition clubs and drama/theatre group with basic nutrition-sensitive messages

including promotion of backyard/keyhole gardening, animal husbandry, dietary diversity and

significance of proper nutrition during the first critical 1000 days and WASH could contribute to

improve nutrition. At least 96 school club members (66 male and 30 female) received skills

training in nutrition-sensitive agriculture including WASH for Gota Garman, Baraaq, Shinile,

Hadhigala, Biki and Bila schools located in Siti zone of Somali region.

Integrated WASH and Nutrition Training for DAs and HEW

PRIME reached 247 extension workers (150 males and 97 females) with an integrated WASH

and nutrition training in Somali and Afar regions of the project target woredas. The main

objective of this training became a reality through provision of basic knowledge and skills for

participants to integrate WASH into their day-to-day interventions. The topics covered in the

training were basic concepts of WASH and nutrition, the differences and links between hygiene

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and sanitation, the five domains of hygiene behavior, improved sanitation and hygiene for better

nutritional outcomes, fecal contamination, barriers to improved sanitation and hygiene, an

overview of safe water systems, hand washing with soap, and linkages with nutrition. Especially

in Somali region, the training benefited the current effort of government response to AWD

outbreak as some of the districts faced the outbreak and others suspected the risk of the AWD

outbreak occurrence.

Trainees on group discussion and presentation

Year 5 work plan

Community Conversations on the five nutrition-behavior themes for PRIME

Trainings for health workers; HEW; model households, and community volunteers on

MIYCN

WASH and MIYCN promotions

Multi sectoral coordination meetings at various levels from the region to woreda level

Supporting nutrition related surveys

Ongoing dialog and counseling on MIYCN by the trained lead members of the existing

groups for its members

Promoting and /or training of KHG and Perma-garden for selected Mother to mother

support groups and model HHs

Community based cooking demonstration events for mothers and care takers related to

complimentary feeding

School clubs campaigns for the five nutrition-behavior themes for joint monitoring of

PRIME activities with government sectors

Nutrition sensitive Agriculture training-for DAs

School clubs conducting PRIME dramas

SOSC sessions - two activities

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INNOVATION AND INVESTMENT FUND

Addis Kidan and Barwako Milk processingFactory

This set of interventions, is aimed at improving the dairy value chain for resilience,

competitiveness, creating access to sustainable milk market for pastoralists, improves milk

production in terms of quality and quantity and improves both household nutrition status, and

household income through facilitating development of sustainable and vibrant dairy value chain

over the PRIME Year 4 resulted in:

With the support of the PRIME’s IIF two medium sized milk-processing plants: Addis Kidan in

Awash, Afar and Berwako in Jijiga, ESRS entered continuous production, creating sustainable

and permanent markets for initially over 1,000 pastorals and agro-pastoral households. These

enterprises produce and market pasteurized cow and camel milk, cow milk yoghurt and local

ricotta cheese. Due to the drought conditions in Afar and northern ESRS where these facilities

source the raw milk, the amount of milk available decreased during the reporting period.

However, the facilities reached a combined throughput of 2.5 MT of milk per day during this

fiscal year. Twelve privately and/or cooperatively owned milk collection centers in ESRS, Afar

and Oromia consolidated their operation and improved operations with PRIME support. These

market system actors received business expansion support from PRIME with a total value of

$376,998 bringing $890,074 in leverage by the applicant enterprises. The enterprises increased

employment from 24 to 57 full time equivalent jobs, serve as sustainable and reliable market for

over 840 milk supplying households, purchase 170MT of raw milk monthly from local

communities and have achieved $150,000 monthly sales of milk and milk products. In addition

to improving income streams for small holder pastoralists, the business expansion have

significantly reduced women pastoralists work burden as they started selling their milk at their

vicinity.

Additional activities over the FY aimed at to improve productivity and competitiveness of the

dairy market system included:

AGP Poultry performance: AGP have trained 70 AGP Poultry Agents who received training and

currently AGP has a total of 28 operational Agents. These agents have achieved high

productivity from its incubators, and seen mortality rates below 7% among its Agent groups’

birds. Of the 28 Agent groups currently in business, 6 have already finished the distribution of

the second cycle and took the third round, and 12 out of the total agents has distributed chickens

for two cycles. Furthermore, AGP field technical coordinators are conducting weekly field work

progress meeting every week with zone livestock and IMX bureau officials to facilitate market

linkage for the Agents and solve the field distribution challenges. In this quarter 16 AGP have

created nine additional full time jobs, so total job created is 133.

Challenge and Lessons learned:

TOPs dropout from scholarship mainly because of high expectation for allowance payment from

the project and because of the negative perception that “TVET graduates don’t quickly gain

employment”. Through discussions, PRIME supported TOPs from poor families to get

allowance such that they can attend the training. Also, PRIME is working to link graduates with

job matching service. Job matching activities will continue through job fair and registration of

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jobs seekers via HelloJobs system to make increase employment rate and make jobseekers more

visible to employers.

Since January as the situation of the drought was getting worse and most of the saving groups

reduces their saving, and women micro franchises did not regularly lift products from the agents.

USAID FORWARD

PRIME partners Havoyoco, ECDD and Barawaqo were visited to provide capacity building

support on financial monitoring (HAVOYOCO) and on VAT reporting support as USAID

requirement. A monitoring visit was conducted for HAVOYOCO to ensure their performance

under PRIME is under the agreed terms and conditions. Significant improvements were observed

during this visit, mainly on proper documentations, financial transactions record keeping, budget

follow up and cash flow statements. HAVOYOCO’s activities and payments corresponded to

approved concept notes which help the organization monitor its budget and implementation.

Their overall performance on financial management has shown improvement compared to the

previous visit as a result of corrective actions requested by Mercy Corps. Mercy Corps, CARE

and ECDD discussed how to improve disability inclusion within the PRIME project. ECDD is

taking the lead and will provide a guidance document as part of support to partners for better

implementation of disability inclusion through the end of the project.

As a result of the visit support, partners received a feedback report from Mercy Corps. Mercy

Corps also visited Rays MFI to conduct a grant kick-off meeting focused on reviewing the

agreement terms and conditions, donor regulations and reporting requirements and create a better

understanding on the requirements during project implementation. Financial monitoring visit was

conducted for Rays MFI in two days focusing on provision of technical support to Rays key staff

on financial management specific to PRIME financial requirements.

Capacity building support and follow-up continues to be provided to partners as part of USAID

Forward. The key findings of the capacity building reflection and learning workshop show that

local partners have improved their capacity as a result of various training interventions. The

importance of conducting rapid assessments on three selected local partners for furthering them

in the USAID Forward process was agreed upon.

At the end of June, PRIME conducted a one-day extraordinary partners’ meeting in Addis

Ababa. The meeting was attended by 30 participants, mostly senior management members from

all partner organizations. The meeting sought to identify the most important challenges faced by

partners in the last three years of implementation and agree on possible solutions to address these

problems for future improvements. Ultimately, this conversation seeks to create a stronger

consortium in the remaining years of PRIME and beyond.

Mercy Corps has conducted a monitoring and organization capacity assessment visit to AMFI

from July 28, 2016 to August 04, 2016 with the objectives of identifying of key challenges

and/or areas need improvement to AMFI and also realized those strengths of AMFI for better

performance and strengthen partnership. The monitoring visit also to ensure their performance

under PRIME is under the agreed terms and conditions. Significant improvement were observed

from AMFI as a result of PRIME support during this visit mainly on proper documentations,

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financial transactions and reporting, having implementing financial application software QUICK

book for reporting and Financial analysis. This software application is using to saving and loan

accounts AMFI able to generate customer accounts status quickly and make easy for reporting.

This is the key success to AMFI basically technical support from Mercy Crops. This is helpful

for both organizations for cash transfer intervention during emergency situation at Afar region.

Each beneficiary account its cash transfer has recorded in the system can generate report from

that.

Part of the capacity building activities, the institution has supported from PRIME on basis of

grant with sub award agreement #32206S022 and implemented activities such as key staffs have

participated on international Islamic Financing trainings, provided office equipment such as

computers, AC conditioners, cash count machines, generators and motorbikes for branch offices

capacity support and branch expansion purposes all supported from PRIME were realized during

monitoring visit. PRIME also proceeding its support to AMFI to have core banking software and

hardware to access core banking system and its implementation will be started during the next

quarter. PRIME has also implemented emergency response activities to Afar region together

with AMFI during this quarter. AMFI is a strong partner with Mercy Crops PRIME during the

emergency cash transfer response through providing financial service facility to targeted

beneficiaries of Afar community as required.

Here below mentioned success from AMFI observed during Monitoring visit.

Increased its client and operational income from emergency cash transfer operation

working with PRIME.

PRIME management flexibility to wards project support process which has recognized

and acknowledged by AMFI.

One of the branch offices of AMFI “Abala” branch clients have started to return their

first given loan amount and processed to get their second loan this is as a result of

financial service access from AMFI to the community.

As a result of increased number of clients from community (2500emergency

beneficiaries) due to emergency cash transfer process; AMFI has increased its financial

capacity due to community saving amount and improved its service providing capacity to

the community as well. Few customers from the community beneficiaries have starting

saving to their accounts which is one of the key success “ improved community

understanding towards benefits of access and using financial service”

Monitoring visit has also conducted to Rays MFI from July 09 till 14th July 2016 the visit

mainly focused on Rays Branch offices capacity assessment and its implementation capacity to

ensure their performance under PRIME support with agreement#32206S020 the agreed terms

and conditions.

Below here are key areas of accomplishment were observed from two branch offices during

monitoring visit

Established new offices and staffs were deployed and started their implementation

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Saving mobilization and awareness raising were conducted and participants are

community members, Community based institution and woreda government officials.

Mobilization still continued and till June 30, 2016, six kebele from Moyalle and five

kebele from Negella a total of eleven kebeles were touched by Rays.

Rays have customers from community members only at this time and it has still

improving its access to community based institutions to increase its clients. Till

June30, 2016, Moyalle field office has opened 23 accounts and Negelle field office has

opened 56 accounts to their respective field offices with total saving amount

16531.50etb at Moyalle and 4,408etb at Negella.

Ensured PRIME supported furniture, computers and cash boxes were using by branch

offices.

PRIME support core banking software and data severer to Rays under procurement

process and will be started its core banking system by next quarter.

One vehicle 4X4 Hilux procured and supported from PRME to Rays MFI as part of

capacity building support activities.

USAID Forward Priorities for FY17

Monitoring Visit to Barawaqo MPF and Close out visit to DPPB EW

Conduct supportive visit and OCA to HAVOYOCO.

Conduct rapid assessment with three PRIME partners to understand the USAID

Forward objectives achievement/status

Coordinate with CARE to conduct close out visit to partners to be closed during

this quarter.

CROSS-CUTTING THEMES

Gender in Pastoralism presentation (Addis Ababa)

The new PRIME Gender Advisor began exercising her position during the quarter, with the

majority of her time spent in orientation and discussion with various PRIME consortium

members. The gender advisor gave a presentation on “Gender issues in Pastoralism” for IR

leaders and other PRIME staff. The purpose of the presentation was to share experiences and the

importance of promoting gender equality among agro/pastoralists. Specific topics included

economic and socio-political issues, labor organization in pastoralist communities, resource

management, conflict, mobility and communal task structure and organization. Also discussed

were: current changing patterns as pastoralists seek to adapt to climate change; evolving social,

political and economic conditions; privatization of resources; the growth of private enclosures;

urbanization; population growth; opportunistic farming; and threats posed due to rangeland

degradation.

Due to emerging practices of alternative livelihood options such as income generating activities

and a shift to agro-pastoralism, women bear more workload. During drought or other

human/animal health hazards women’s susceptibility is by far higher in the pastoral areas where

natural resources are in limited supply. As a coping strategy, women are involved in collecting

and storing hay, carrying home-based forage for calves and small ruminants, and collecting wild

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food, all of which increase the burden of women. Discussions were then held related to PRIME

activities and various impacts PRIME's interventions have.

Gender Networking Meetings (Addis Ababa)

USAID Gender Champions Meeting

The gender advisor attended the USAID Gender Champions meeting and presented the

preliminary findings of the rapid gender analysis in drought affected areas of Ethiopia. Ethiopian

Network for Gender Equality in Agriculture (ENGEA). The Ethiopian Network for Gender

Equality in Agriculture was initiated by the Women Affairs

Directorate that is established by the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MoANR) to

ensure programs and projects mainstream gender. Establishment of the network at the national

level was launched on December 19, 2015. CARE Ethiopia has been assigned with an advisory

role along with nine other INGOs. The meeting included presentations on "women food heroes"

- reflecting on the role and contribution of women in agriculture. The PRIME gender advisor

participated in planning for the upcoming five years of the network.

PRIME SAA groups (Afar)

The gender advisor participated in an assessment of Afar SAA groups (including PRIME and

other CARE Ethiopia programs) to develop a minimum standard for SAA. Preliminary results

included concerns that gender is not as well integrated into NRM and CCA activities as it should

be.

DISABILITY

PRIME partner ECDD focuses on the promotion of inclusive development for people with

disabilities, mainstreaming disability issues in government and projects. The role of ECDD in

PRIME is to build the internal capacity of consortium members and local partners to practice and

develop disability inclusive policies activities while providing regular technical assistance to

program staff to ensure an inclusive design, implementation and monitoring of program

activities.

Disability-focused activities during FY16 included:

Skill training at Nagelle, Yabello & Moyale TVETs and other Private Training Centers in

Southern Cluster

Under PRIME project Mercy Corps, SOS Sahel and ECDD has been facilitating short-term skills

trainings for young female and male TOPs in collaboration with three public and one private

TVET in southern cluster. A total 452 young and unemployed TOPs from different woredas of

Gujji and Borena zone have been granted scholarship 16 different training opportunities to

choose from based on their interest and demand from the labor market. This brings the total

scholarship granted in southern cluster to 635.

Driving skill training in southern cluster Tasa roba Driving Training Institution: During the year

under review, 102 young and unemployed TOPs have been trained in driving skill training. Out

of the total 42 young and unemployed TOPs successfully completed driving skill training. The

remaining 60 TOPs are attending the training and expected to complete their training in the next

quarter. These trainees have acquired standard driving skills that help them obtain decent jobs as

driver in labour market. The training has been provided in two categories of driving i.e. Dry

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Freight- level II and Public- Level I. Following training completion, students were awarded

temporary driver license, pending issuance of regular driver license.

Moyale TVET College: this year 106 TOPs

enrolled in Moyale TVET in year-4 and

successfully graduated in dressmaking and

hairdressing skills. So far 206 (2 male) TOPs in

three different batches have been graduated

from moyale TVET and most of the graduates

reported that they have started they won

business after the training

Negelle Polytechnic College: in Negele

Polytechnic Collage 144 (18f and 34 PWD)

TOPs have completed skills training in 8

different training streams and graduated during the year. Moreover, 34 (18 female) people with

Disabilities (PwDs) trained in furniture and dress making/garment skills have successfully

graduated during this year. PRIME supported Guji zone Labor and Social Affairs Office and

Negelle Polytechnic College to enroll PWDs from low income families. The training helped

them to acquire compatible training of their choice and made them ready to work and earn

income. During the graduation ceremony, ECDD, Mercy Corps, SOS Sahel Ethiopia and

government partners organized a telethon aimed at

creating awareness and opportunities for the

graduates. For the fundraising, graduates exhibited

products and furniture they made during the

training. By so doing, they were able to raise

38,900 ETB and deposited at their group bank

account to startup a business. Negelle Borena

Municipality has given work premise and land for

PWDs to start their business operation. As a

follow-up activity PRIME announced a call for

proposals to provide competitive cost sharing

grants to strengthen and kick start their own

business. Moreover, the second round scholarship

program training has been started with 51 students

enrolled at Negelle Polytechnic College in

plumping, construction, furniture and metal work

departments.

Yabello Polytechnic College: PRIME provided

scholarship opportunity for 100 TOPs (53 female

and 22 PWD) to attend training at Yabello

Polytechnic College. All the 100 TOPs completed

their training successfully and now they are

pursuing jobs, started their own employment and

some searching for job. So far 183 TOPs have

During driving skill training practice in Southern cluster

Graduation ceremony for people with disabilities in Negelle

Dressmaking and hairdressing at Moyale TVET

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graduated from yabello Polytechnic College since PRIME started supporting the TVET to

expand their training streams and improve their curriculums.

V. FINANCIAL SUMMARY

PRIME EXPEDITURE SUMMARY REPORT

AS OF Sept 30, 2016

Per IR AMOUNT (USD)

IR 1 13,330,538

IR 2 13,431,672

ECIR 3 10,366,044

IR 4 7,610,161

IR 5 3,759,639

Crisis Modifier 1,500,000

GRAND TOTAL 49,998,054

Per Funding Stream

GCC 15,265,473

FtF 28,853,662

Nutrition 4,378,919

Crisis Modifier 1,500,000

GRAND TOTAL 49,998,054

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List of Annexes

Annex 1. EICC assessment Annex 2. IDB and ki-projects data quality check Annex 3. AHS 2015 report

Annex 4. AHS 2015 presentation

Annex 5. Mid-line survey presentation

Annex 6. Partner and recipient assessment spot check report

Annex 7. Learning briefs

Annex 8. Joint Planning Cell presentation by PRIME

Annex 9. Success Stories

Annex 10: Jobs tracking Sheet form

Annex 11: HU paper volume 1