Oxfam – Integrated Development Programme, Ethiopia

In 1984, Ethiopia suffered a huge famine, which received a great deal of publicity. Although the famine was long gone in 1999, Ethiopia continued to be one of the poorest countries in the world. It suffered from low life expectancy rates, high infant mortality rates and rare access to a clean water supply.

Oxfam's Integrated Development Programme aimed to provide 12,500 people with better options for sustainable living. The programme focused on a broad range of project components, according to the needs expressed by the communities. The reforestation component supplied seeds and tools for two tree nurseries, which helped protect the land against soil erosion and provided timber, fruit, firewood and browsing for animals. The credit scheme component set up four savings and credit schemes for women to enable them to increase their income. The health component trained 24 birth attendants in obstetrics and hygiene skills to make them more effective. Finally, the water component improved the traditional sources of water by supplying hand tools for people to dig wells, installing hand pumps in such wells, training people in hygiene to reduce the risk of water-related disease, and to build traditional water pools, for watering large numbers of livestock.

TRAID gave £218,000 to Oxfam's Integrated Development Programme in Jijiga, Ethiopia between 1999 and 2002. As the result of a devastating drought in Ethiopia during TRAID funding, the water and health projects were interrupted as the relevant populations migrated in search of water and pasture. However, the reforestation programme and credit schemes continued as planned.

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