Somaliland: Livestock Livelihood Project

If Somalia, one of the very poorest countries on earth, is ever going to lift itself out of poverty, the livestock sector is going to have to play a crucial role.

The Somaliland Livestock Livelihoods project uses a combination of radio programmes and face to face teaching to provide information, develop skills, improve knowledge and practices in livestock sector management and earnings.

A 30 minute radio programme, Xoolaha Barnaamijka, which is designed to compliment a system of face-to-face teaching, runs each week.

With the support of 700 trained facilitators across the Country, learning groups of around 30 people are brought together to listen to the programme.

Rural Development

In one episode, groups are invited to carry out comparative tests on animals with the same disease, comparing the results of modern and traditional, ethno-veterinary treatments.

This kind of activity has been developed from the highly successful Farm Field School approach, which is now a common strategy for promoting rural development in Africa.

It's hoped, not only that informal groups and individuals will learn from the programmes, but that they will promote widespread debate on the livestock sector, with a knock-on effect on government policy, where government exists.

As part of a wider programme, this project aims to improve skills, knowledge and practices throughout the livestock sector.

Better planning

The radio programmes, broadcast every Saturday at 1530 GMT, on FM in Hargeisa, and on short wave at 96:30 and 6005 Khz, cover a number of livestock issues including:

• Environmental issues, such as the enclosing of land which is blocking nomadic migration routes

• Product diversification, aimed at encouraging the better use of by-products, like hides

• Animal health, which is a major strand of the project, since the lifting of the Saudi import ban, the biggest obstacle to economic improvement in the sector, depends on improved animal health practices

• Marketing, looking at issues like market analysis and animal presentation

• Animal management, from the economic and environmental issues around maintaining large herds, to intense farming with fewer animals

• Simple business skills, like teamwork, and basic accounts keeping

The programmes will also provide up-to-the-minute information for producers, traders and exporters, to help improve their income by better planning.