Pastoralist Areas Resilience Improvement through Market Expansion (PRIME) Project Quarter 13 Report

The project aims to enhance prospects for long-term development in Ethiopia's dryland landscape, where the pastoralist livelihood system prevails. PRIME is designed to be transformative, innovative, and achieve scale through market-driven approaches to livestock production and livelihood diversification that support dryland communities to adapt to a changing climate. The project has five major objectives, including improved productivity and competitiveness of livestock and livestock products, enhanced pastoralists' adaptation to climate change, strengthened alternative livelihoods for households transitioning out of pastoralism, ensured enhanced innovation, learning, and knowledge management, and improved nutritional status of targeted households. To achieve these objectives, PRIME works with various stakeholders, including government experts, rangeland councils, and local communities. During the reporting period of 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2015, PRIME implemented several key activities. In the area of improved productivity and competitiveness of livestock and livestock products, the project signed eight sub-award agreements for feedlot businesses in Borena, Liben, and Guji zones. Additionally, PRIME supported the commercial destocking of sheep and goats in drought-affected areas of Sitti Zone, resulting in the sale of 9,058 animals and keeping the markets active and livestock prices stable. In terms of enhanced pastoralists' adaptation to climate change, PRIME facilitated rangeland level dialogues across Oromia, Somali, and Afar regions, involving a total of 160 participants. The project also organized a 4-day range school concept training for 40 people, including rangeland council members and government experts, to improve their understanding of basic concepts of range ecology and grazing management techniques. PRIME also supported the implementation of natural resource restoration and enhancement activities for climate change adaptation, covering an estimated area of 286 hectares through different technologies, including selective bush thinning/prosopis clearing, physical soil and water conservation measures, and enclosing areas from livestock and human interference to allow for natural restoration. In the area of strengthened alternative livelihoods for households transitioning out of pastoralism, PRIME awarded competitive business expansion grants to 16 agricultural input suppliers in the Eastern cluster. The project also supported mobile and agent banking, which reached 45,368 people through 67 agents in Somali region. Additionally, Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) added 755 members this quarter, bringing the total number of members to 9,054. PRIME also supported the creation of micro-franchise businesses as an alternative income source for women transitioning out of pastoralism. During the reporting quarter, the women entrepreneurs made purchases worth 61,000 ETB (USD 2,904). Furthermore, 149 short-term trainees graduated from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs) institutions during the quarter. In terms of innovation, learning, and knowledge management, PRIME supported the development of a Climate Change Adaptation Case Study series, which provides insights on how to operationalize climate integration and experiences from Ethiopia and the Mercy Corps' PRIME program. The case studies can be found on the Mercy Corps website.