Strengthen PSNP4 Institutions and Resilience (SPIR) Development Food Security Activity (DFSA)

Background

Strengthen PSNP4 Institutions and Resilience is a Development Food Security Activity which shares Ethiopia’s Government Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) goal of resilience to shocks and livelihoods enhanced, and food security and nutrition improved, for rural households vulnerable to food insecurity.

The program works across multiple sectors including livelihoods; health, nutrition and WASH; and disaster and climate risk management. It also gives due attention to children, girls, women and youth empowerment.

Program Profile

1. vRegion: Amhara (North Wollo and Waghemra Zone)
2. vWoreda: 9 (Meket, Wadla, Gazo, Lasta, Bugna, Dahna, Sekota, Tsagibji and Gazgibla)
3. vKebeles: 207

     Target Beneficiaries:

1. vDirect Project Participants: 256,329 (137,446 female)
2. vFood Distribution: 256,329 individuals (PDS-40,928 and PW-215,401)
3. vTotal Budget: $US 86,644,759

Food aid = $53,146,248   (metric ton- 75,533)

Cash =     $ 33,498,511      

1. vDuration: October 1, 2016 to July 31, 2021

Program Goal and Purposes

Strengthen PSNP4 Institutions and Resilience targets on enhancing livelihoods, increasing resilience to shocks, and improving food security and nutrition for rural households vulnerable to food insecurity in Amhara region of Ethiopia.

To achieve its goal, SPIR focuses on four integrated and interdependent purposes.

• Increased income, productive assets and equitable access to nutritious food for vulnerable women, men and youth;
• Improved nutritional status of children under two years of age, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls;
• Increased women’s empowerment, youth empowerment and gender equity;
• Strengthened ability of women, men and communities to mitigate, adapt to and recover from human-caused and natural shocks and stresses.

Interventions

• Agricultural production and productivity
• Market access
• Boosting off-farm and non-farm income
• Increased use of financial services
• Utilization of nutritious foods
• Utilization of health and nutritional services
• Reduced prevalence of waterborne diseases
• Institutional responsiveness to needs of girls and women
• Reduction of HTPs
• Women and youth empowerment of decision making
• Climate resilient livelihoods
• Natural Resource Management (NRM)
• Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Change Adaptation (DRR& CCA)

Major project achievements

Livelihoods and VESA

A total of 2,868 VESA groups having 64,291 members (female 35,278) mobilized over 10.6 million birr. Out of these VESA members, 45,877 beneficiaries accessed loan of 10.5 million birr.

• Total VESA members = 64,291
• VESAs mobilized/saved = 10,651,675.90 ETB
• Amount of loan accessed to VESA members =10,543,313 ETB
• Program participants obtaining loan from VESAs = 45,877

 The project also encourages a total of 11,047 beneficiaries to enhance food and nutrition security in selected value chains- 3,110 poultry, 6,055 shoat fattening & rearing, 984 apiary, 180 potato, 695 vegetables and 23 wheat production.

Gender Issues

More than 55% of women are VESA members and 40% are engaged in leadership. They are also empowered in leading VESAs and exercise decision making. Currently, men are engaged in household chorus and childcare activities to reduce women workload.

Capital Projects

So far, ORDA in collaboration with world vision & CARE Ethiopia constructed and/or rehabilitated 21 small scale irrigation schemes, 4 small dams, 294 household level water harvesting structures, 56 communal water harvesting structures, 77 hand-dug wells (HDWs), 56 springs, 22 gender sensitive public latrines, 6 blocks of 22 school classroom extension, 6 veterinary posts, 4 health posts, 3 solid waste disposal pits, 3 hand wash facilities, and 2 bridges.

Natural Resource Management, CCA & DRR

In relation to Natural Resource Management, Climate Change Adaptation & Disaster Risk Management (NRM, CCA & DRR), 384 watersheds and 57 nurseries managed, 3,678 hectare of land rehabilitated (physical, biological & biophysical) SWC measures, 3,933 hectare of land closed. Energy efficient technologies such as 400 solar lanterns and 526 cooking stoves distributed and rain forecast tools installed.  

 Health, Nutrition & WaSH

Health, Nutrition & WaSH programs are contributing to reductions in undernutrition and diarrheal diseases. The project is significantly contributing to nutrition vulnerability, including pregnant women, mothers, girls and children under the age of two (the 1,000 day) and is supplying safe drinking-water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) services.

For a better child physical and mental development, the project admitted 2,803 underweighted children and 2,572 discharged as they gained a 200 gram of weight each. A community-based participatory nutrition promotion (CPNP) results in for a proper promotion of feeding, hygiene and sanitation activities.

In general, ORDA is striving to fruitfully achieve Strengthen PSNP4 Institutions and Resilience (SPIR) Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) in selected woredas in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. We eventually would like to acknowledge USAID for its funding & consortium partners World Vision & CARE Ethiopia that are working in harmony with the organization to achieve the intended goal of the project.