FSL Team Visit for Retrospective Study on Save the Children-Supported IGGs

Tuesday 20 May 2014

A team from Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) sector recently travelled to selected woredas in Somali and Dire-Dawa namely Jijiga, Harshin, Awbare, Babile, Shinile, Afdem, Mieso and Hadigala, an area where Save the Children and its partners implemented projects that help vulnerable community members to build up businesses and generate income to improve their livelihoods. The income generating groups (IGGs) visited were supported by Save the Children between 2009 and 2011 through several donors funded projects, including USAID, EU and ECHO. 

Jare Cereal Cooperative in Awbare

The main purpose of the visit was to look into how well or poorly the IGGs have been performing since their inception. The study, through documenting best practices and successes, failures and challenges, is expected to provide evidence that will help shape future interventions. The team has seen various income-generating activities ranging from selling livestock, meat and cereal to tailoring and bakery, from vegetable and crop/fodder production to milk and butter trading. Most of the IGGs are still active and have already begun making profit out of their businesses. Some have even become successful in diversifying and expanding their business and been able to generate more money and improve their livelihood significantly, while some are exerting effort to survive.

Our visit and the discussions we had with several beneficiaries helped us to find out how our IGG interventions are positively impacting on the lives of many. The businesses not only support target beneficiaries but also inspire others, who were not targets of the projects. It was indeed inspiring to see women transacting and managing businesses to feed their children and themselves well. Some of the women also carryout businesses which are culturally earmarked for men in many parts of the country.

Sundus Garment Cooperative in Jigjiga Town “We managed to rent a shop for our tailoring business after Save the Children gave us the grant. We are now earning more money and doing better” the Head of Sundus Tailoring Business Group explained.

The  current  tailoring  group  called  Sundus  Garment  Cooperative  is  a  merger  of  two  groups supported by Save the Children in 2010. Uniquely, it has recruited three school going girls to develop their skills for future employability.

Thanking Save the Children for the grant it gave them to start-up the business, the Head of Milan Livestock Marketing Group has highlighted some of the benefits members of the group have gained so far. “Our livelihood has improved and we now have no worries about what to feed our children and what to buy for their education. Earnings from the livestock and cereal marketing, limestone production and other businesses we run go mainly to the food and education of our children. We feed our children well, and they do not miss school”.

In summary, the beneficiaries whom we spoke with are all pleased with the businesses they run and Save the Children’s intervention. They are progressing and dreaming for a good future. “There will come a time when we can even support Save the Children financially so it will lend its hand to many more people” the Head of Milan Livestock Marking group.

Visiting team and field staff with members of Bisinkare Fodder Cooperative in Babile