Implementing Agency:
Department For International Development (PAND)

Managing Institute:
Actionaid UK

Contractor:
Actionaid - Ethiopia

Project Code: 020-680-022	Start Date: 01/04/1992	End Date: 31/03/1996
Commitment: £260,846	Status: Completed	Type of Funding: Bilateral - JFS

Project Background:
Ethiopia is a country dogged by its past. The revolution has brought many positive changes in the past sixteen years, principally inland reform, education and health care, but beneath the facade of change feudal and imperial attitudes still dominate, particularly in the rural areas, and many benefits are yet to be observed in the more remote parts of the country. Indeed, Ethiopa has become one of the world's poorest countries, with (at$120) the lowest per capital GNP in Africa. External debt has increased dramatically, with debt servicing consuming 22% of export earnings. Meanwhile, the population growth rate stands at 2.79%, despite an infant mortality rate of 149 per 1,000 live births. Only 6% of children who survive their first year receive full immunisation cover, and only a third of school-aged children get the chance to go to school.

In the first two years of field operation AAE has worked in water supply projects, small agricultural projects, initiation of primary health care and EPI, women's development, income generation and home economics, and finally support to some elementary schools in the area. In the sphere of agriculture AAE has worked closely with the network of Service Co-operatives, of which there are eight in the project area, and which serve as the channel through which farming inputs are delivered to those who need them.

Project Objectives:
The overall aim of the project is to improve living standards in the majority of households within Action Aid - Ethiopia's area of operation by increasing agricultural production and income at household level, through the introduction of sustainable and improved technology, material inputs and information. The project is divided into thirteen components: Oxen distribution:- this component aims to increase the availability of oxen to enable poor farmers to prepare and plant their land in timely fashion Seed multiplication:- this component aims to improve the availability of good quality seeds for poor households Women's vegetable gardens:- this component aims to improve the quantitative and qualitative availability of food through the introduction of sustainable vegetables to kitchen gardens Crop protection services:- this component aims to make safe and suitable crop protection services available to needy households Dairy goat development:- this component aims to improve local breeds of goats and rearing practices in order to increase the yields of milk and meat Poultry development:- this component aims to improve the local breed of poultry in order to increase the production of eggs and meat for domestic consumption or to generate cash income Forage improvement:- this component aims to improve the quality, quantity and availability of forage for livestock development Veterinary services:- this component aims to make available reliable, affordable and accessible veterinary services applicable to cattle, horses, donkeys, sheep, goats and poultry Seed and grain storage:- this component aims to improve seed storage facilities at services cooperative level and to promote improvement in storage practices at household level Grain mills:- this component aims to reduce the time and labour spent by women on grinding grains Soil erosion control:- this component aims to protect grazing and farm land losses caused by soil erosion Tree nurseries:- this component aims to improve the availability of seedlings of fruit fodder, firewood and timbertrees and coffee bushes through establishing local and community based tree nurseries On farm testing, demonstration and training:- this component aims to increase farming productivity by generating and introducing new and appropriate technologies.

Intended Outputs:
Oxen Distribution:

An improved ratio of 1 pair of oxen per 3 households (currently 3.5 households) will be achieved in 50% of PAs.

150 oxen will have been distributed to needy households.

Seed Multiplication:

200 contracted seed growers will have been trained.

Women's Vegetable Gardens:

25% of households will have kitchen gardens growing cabbage, beetoot, carrot, and local varieties of green leaf vegetables.

900 women will have been trained as key vegetable growers through home farm training.

Crop Protection Services:

Each service co-operative will have a basic stock of insecticide for crop and storage pests.

Farmers will have been trained in the safe use of pesticides and equipment in 5 PAs.

Dairy Goat Development:
5 households and women farmers in each of the 34 PAs will be functioning as key dairy goat development contact farmers, working as model farmers and contract breeders.

Poultry Development:

340 households will have one Babcock and one White Leghorn chicken.

Forage Improvement:

340 housholds will have planted 50 sesbania and 50 leucaena seedlings in their backyards for their livestock forage needs.

Veterinary Services:

One community veterinary agent (CVA) per service co-operative will have bene trained and become operational.

A veterinary drug supply system will have been established at each of the 8 service co-operatives.

Seed and Grain Storage:

Each of the 8 service co-operatives will have an improved storage capacity of 20 tonnes for the handling of seeds.

Grain Mills:

An improved ratio of 1 grain mill to every 2 PAs (currently 2:4) will have been achieved.

Soil Erosion Control:
180 hectares fo hillside will be terraced and planted with suitable trees and grasses.

Tree Nurseries:

6 new community based tree nurseries will have been established, each with a hand-dug well or pond.

On-Farm Testing, Demonstration, Training:

Variety trials of the major grain and vegetable crops will have been carried out in one location within each service co-operative catchment area every year.