A safety net against famine in Ethiopia
12 June 2008
Image courtesy of
Dieter Telemans/Panos Pictures
Over the last four decades, Ethiopia has repeatedly been hit by drought. Faced with famine, time and again its people have had to sell precious assets such as cattle and ploughs to survive. But while this may provide food in the short-term, it leaves them without the means to make a living in the future.
Only a few years ago, in 2002/03, severe droughts brought extreme hunger upon almost one-quarter of the population, forcing many to cash in their assets to pay for food. It became clear that something needed to be done to make people's livelihoods more secure, in case disaster struck again.
Preparing for the worst
Under the Productive Safety Net programme, launched by the Ethiopian Government in 2005 and backed by DFID, people get money and food in exchange for work. Jobs focus on improving public facilities, such as roads, water points, and health and education posts.
With the money received, those who are most susceptible to food shortages can buy assets that may turn into lasting sources of income. And by providing enough food to meet participants' needs, the programme makes them less likely to resort to desperate measures when famine threatens.
Shelemew stands on his own
Shelemew Keba, 46, lives with his wife Kabite and their four children in Bensa district, 400 km south of Addis Ababa.
Enrolled in the programme four years ago, he is one of more than 15,000 people
in Bensa to have benefited from it so far.
Like most Ethiopians, Shelemew has had to sell his most
valuable resources during times of hunger. "We were dependent on emergency food handouts during
famine," he says. "But the handouts often arrived too late, and sometimes we were
not sure if we would get support. To feed our families we had to sell our sheep,
cattle, ploughs or any other assets we had left."
Today, life is more manageable for Shelemew and his family. His work on
community building projects enabled him to amass savings, which he used to buy
new assets. A loan obtained from the programme allowed him to make additional
purchases, and he is now the owner of four
cattle and a field of 1,000 coffee trees.
Graduates still face challenges
With
his new assets in place, Shelemew has become one of 198 people from Bensa to
have "graduated" from the programme. To do this, you must be in a
position to meet your food needs for 12 months in any year and be able to
withstand modest shocks without programme assistance.
However, though Shelemew has passed these markers, he still finds himself struggling to cope with rising food prices and poor rains. He now plans to take out further loans, which he will use to buy more livestock and start a small business fattening cattle for sale.
But Shelemew admits that he is better off than many others in his village. "I have livestock, vegetable gardens and coffee, and I can manage without help from the programme. If the weather gets better, in a few years the coffee tree will start giving fruit. I will be a rich man!"
The family's increased security has also given Kabite cause for optimism. "All our children are able to attend school," she says proudly, "and I hope they will be able to support themselves and us in the near future."
Facts and stats
- The Productive Safety Net programme is led by the Ethiopian Government with support from DFID, the World Bank, Ireland, Canada, Sweden and the USA.
- In March 2008, DFID approved an additional payment of £23 million for the first phase of the programme, increasing our total contribution to £93 million.
- In the first three years, the programme has provided food or cash transfers to around 8 million beneficiaries, at a value of £60 per household.
- The programme has led to an impressive range of public works including the construction of 756 school classrooms, 342 health posts, 6,160 km of rural roads, 407 hand dug wells and 310 springs.
- DFID will continue to support the United Nations-managed Humanitarian Response Fund to address emergency needs in Ethiopia. Following an appeal from the Government of Ethiopia and United Nations in April 2008, DFID has provided £3 million towards humanitarian operations.
- In June 2008, DFID announced £10 million to support Ethiopia's people in the face of a worsening humanitarian situation caused by drought and high food prices. This followed £5 million of aid pledged the previous month.
