Kotido Pastoral Development Programme An overview of Oxfam GB s work in northeastern Uganda

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1 Kotido Pastoral Development Programme An overview of Oxfam GB s work in northeastern Uganda Kotido Pastoral Development Programme 1

2 2 Oxfam GB

3 Introduction The Karamoja region of north-eastern Uganda is a semi-arid land where annual rainfall is highly variable and where the pastoral Karimojong population has adapted to an uncertain and hostile environment. The Karimojong cluster lies across four countries Uganda, Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia and the Ugandan part consists of the three districts of Nakapiripirit, Moroto and Kotido 1. Kotido is home to a number of ethnic and territorial groups including the Dodoth, Jie, Labwor and Ik. The majority of the Karimojong are livestock producers, many of who also practice small-scale farming of local crops, such as sorghum, around their permanent homesteads. In Kotido, livestock are kept in rangelands around the homestead when the availability of water and pasture allows, but are taken further afield with the onset of the dry season, migrating into neighbouring districts of Uganda along well-trodden routes as determined by the vagaries of the climate. Governments, both colonial and post-colonial, have always considered the Karimojong production system and way of life as chaotic, backward, economically irrational and environmentally destructive. Consequently, many efforts have been made to settle pastoralists, by imposing boundaries, closing off their land for game and forest reserves, restricting access to dry season grazing areas, forcibly removing their livestock and promoting intensive agriculture. Kotido Pastoral Development Programme 3

Oxfam GB in Karamoja Oxfam GB has worked in Karamoja for more than two decades, but in the last few years has moved from away the service-delivery approaches that have long characterised pastoral

Since the 1990s there has been a growing realisation that development in pastoral areas has been based on misguided assumptions and there has been an increasing acceptance of mobile livestock

4 Oxfam GB in Karamoja Oxfam GB has worked in Karamoja for more than two decades, but in the last few years has moved from away the service-delivery approaches that have long characterised pastoral development. Since the 1990s there has been a growing realisation that development in pastoral areas has been based on misguided assumptions and there has been an increasing acceptance of mobile livestock production as the most viable way to farm semi-arid rangelands. This change in understanding has started to move the emphasis towards development of pastoralists, rather than attempts to develop, or change, their production systems. Karamoja remains the least developed region of Uganda and, according to the Human Development Index, poverty levels are half as high again as the national average. However, during good years, when pastoralists can be seen grazing extensive herds of cattle over lush pastures, it becomes obvious that simple income or asset measures of poverty are inappropriate. Pastoralism is exceptionally well adapted to an uncertain environment and pastoralists employ a range of coping mechanisms that enable them to survive the severe shocks that characterise their environment. 4 Oxfam GB

5 The Kotido Pastoral Development Programme has been developed in the understanding that the most important factor in pastoral poverty is the exclusion of pastoralists from the social and political mainstream of Uganda. A consistent failure to understand and accept the pastoral production system has left a legacy of topdown interventions and mistrust between planners and pastoralists. Pastoralists are seldom consulted on, and are often penalised by, development interventions that are given to them and they often lack the capabilities and representation to influence development planning. The attitude of many of Uganda s politicians remains strongly opposed to pastoralists, despite recent, well reported evidence that pastoralism is a very significant contributor to the country s economy 2-. Even at a local level, a degree of contempt towards pastoralism is common and examination of the district level finances in Kotido shows that, despite contributing more than 60% of local revenue, pastoralism receives less than 5% of local government expenditure 3. The projects that the government does implement tend to be grand interventions, such as valley dams, which are designed to settle pastoralists and solve the pastoral problem, rather than to satisfy the needs of pastoralists. Oxfam s Approach Oxfam believes that the lack of effective representation of pastoralists interests and the lack of responsiveness on the part of governments and others lies at the root of pastoralists vulnerability. Their poverty is thus one of voice and capability, and Oxfam tackles this through a Capacity Building for Empowerment (CBfE) 4 approach. Kotido Pastoral Development Programme 5

The strategy adopted by Oxfam in Kotido for reducing pastoral poverty and vulnerability is to increase the quality of their participation and representation.

other, influencing institutions (such as government) to become more responsive to pastoralists interests and concerns.

6 The strategy adopted by Oxfam in Kotido for reducing pastoral poverty and vulnerability is to increase the quality of their participation and representation. The project follows a twin-track approach: on the one hand, fostering strong, representative organisations through which pastoralists can better understand, articulate, and claim their rights; on the other, influencing institutions (such as government) to become more responsive to pastoralists interests and concerns. Oxfam GB is working closely with the district government in Kotido to strengthen the district planning structures that have been set up through Uganda s decentralisation process. Oxfam provides capacity building to government staff at different levels (from district down to parish) to strengthen participatory planning. Through this collaboration Oxfam facilitates the production of Community Action Plans (CAPs), drawn up by community groups and their Parish administrators. This highly participative planning process involves identifying local resources and capacities, including those of the government, and using these to address the prioritised needs of the community. 6 Oxfam GB

Pastoral communities are assisted in setting up management committees, which oversee the development interventions arising from the CAP process and which ensure that all partners to individual

These management committees are further trained to manage resources after their construction, such as through the collection of user fees and organisation of maintenance and repair.

7 Pastoral communities are assisted in setting up management committees, which oversee the development interventions arising from the CAP process and which ensure that all partners to individual development projects (government, community and NGOs) fulfil their obligations. These management committees are further trained to manage resources after their construction, such as through the collection of user fees and organisation of maintenance and repair. Oxfam s individual projects are therefore led by plans made at parish level, and there tends to be no sectoral specialisation. However, inevitably there are certain needs that arise more frequently, such as water, food security or animal health, and Oxfam responds by developing appropriate sectoral approaches based on existing local capacities, supported by outside experts, such as the Water Resources Survey produced in Oxfam also supports a number of Community Based Organisations and Civil Society Organisations. These partners include the Kotido Peace Initiative (KOPEIN) the Dodoth Agropastoral Development Association (DADO), Kotido NGO Forum and a number of women s groups. The relationship differs with each partner, but Oxfam supports capacity building for organisational development and Kotido Pastoral Development Programme 7

The practical needs that these groups raise usually differ from those prioritised by the more assertive members of their community, more often focusing on food security, health

8 provides funds, either for core activities or to implement specific projects. Empowering marginalised groups The Kotido Pastoral Development Project places particular emphasis on supporting marginalised groups, in particular pastoral women and the Ik. The practical needs that these groups raise usually differ from those prioritised by the more assertive members of their community, more often focusing on food security, health and conflict. Oxfam has supported marginalised groups through support for a health centre (built by the Ik in Kamion Parish), through promotion of grain banking and income generating activities, in particular through women s groups, and through support for conflict management.

9 The Ik The Ik are an extra-marginal group who inhabit the mountains of the far North-East of Kotido, between Uganda, Kenya and Sudan. The Ik are subsistence farmers who also rely to some extent on hunting/gathering, although much of their land has been taken over for game reserves. The Ik are particularly vulnerable to raiding by neighbouring pastoral groups, and their insecurity has deterred them from accumulating even basic assets (such as oxen for ploughing) that might attract raiders. Gender inequity is a major cause of concern and a key factor in pastoral poverty in Karamoja and Oxfam has attempted to mainstream gender issues into programme design. The majority of direct project beneficiaries are women, and the project has been very successful in transferring assets into the hands of women and in enabling them to demonstrate their capacity to determine their own development needs. Oxfam supports seven women s groups in Jie County and the Kamion Farmers Development Association (which represents the Ik) in Dodoth. Oxfam s partner DADO also supports women s groups in Dodoth County. During it is planned to develop an Ik women s group and to continue building the capacity of the existing groups to represent their members interests and to support income and food security improvements. A particular challenge that the Kotido Pastoral Development Project still faces however is the quality of women s representation and participation in pastoral Kotido Pastoral Development Programme 9

formal roles normally afforded pastoral women in public life, notwithstanding their significant informal influence.

10 10 Oxfam GB organisations and in other institutions that affect their lives. It is necessary to move away from simple participation of women and towards a more genuine empowerment of women, although this is constrained by the limited formal roles normally afforded pastoral women in public life, notwithstanding their significant informal influence. The Capacity Building for Empowerment review highlighted the need for stronger gender analysis and a shift away from the focus on women s traditional roles towards support for the strategic needs of women, in particular through encouraging leadership roles of women in development initiatives.

Case study 1: Kamion to Oropoi road During 2003-04 Oxfam, as part of its cross-border conflict work, facilitated a meeting between the Turkana, the Dodoth and their respective government

The Kotido District authorities hosted the meeting, and a key outcome was the request for increased communications to improve security on either side of the border.

11 Case study 1: Kamion to Oropoi road During Oxfam, as part of its cross-border conflict work, facilitated a meeting between the Turkana, the Dodoth and their respective government representatives from either side of the border. The Kotido District authorities hosted the meeting, and a key outcome was the request for increased communications to improve security on either side of the border. In response to this Oxfam agreed to support the construction of a road between Kamion and Oropoi, a distance of around 20 km. The Uganda portion of the road winds down the steep escarpment that leads to Turkana and members of the Ik community who inhabit the mountains of the escarpment constructed the road. The Ik were key beneficiaries of this project as they are particularly vulnerable to raids from pastoralists from either side of the border. The Ik in Kamion are already experiencing improved security and as a direct impact of their increased confidence they are now improving their agricultural practices, for example using oxen for ploughing or developing communal grain storage. Kotido Pastoral Development Programme 11

12 The experience that the Ik gained in developing a road management committee led to interest in developing the Kamion Farmers Association, which has since constructed a community grain store and grain mill. Furthermore, the cash that was earned during construction of the road enabled a large proportion of the Kamion community to procure grain during early 2005, when food stress was felt as a result of poor rains in the previous year. The government s role in the road construction was to provide engineers to supervise the work, which had to be carried out to government specifications if they were to allocate budget for future road maintenance. The government has now agreed to allocate a budget for routine road maintenance and to allow it to be managed by a group of Ik who have received training in road maintenance. 12 Oxfam GB

Case study 2: Jie Community Animal Health Workers Association Over the past few years Oxfam and other agencies in Karamoja have trained a number of Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) and this

These health workers operate on a private basis, charging clients in their communities for services and drugs, although complications have been faced in the past in sustainably managing the supply

13 Case study 2: Jie Community Animal Health Workers Association Over the past few years Oxfam and other agencies in Karamoja have trained a number of Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) and this has proved to be a popular and effective means of service delivery, which has had a very positive impact on pastoral livelihoods. These health workers operate on a private basis, charging clients in their communities for services and drugs, although complications have been faced in the past in sustainably managing the supply chain. At the same time there have been a number of question marks over the validity of these service providers in the eyes of government. To tackle these issues Oxfam supported the creation of the Jie Community Animal Health Workers association (JCAHW), which operates as an independent organisation with responsibility for drug and material supply to paravet practitioners. The association, in collaboration with district veterinary officers, and supported through a loan from 13

14 Oxfam, has set up a drug store in Kotido that supplies a growing network of private, community-based service providers. The association also played a key role in pushing for greater acceptance and credibility of community-based animal health practitioners: a model that is now widely endorsed by government at local, if not national level. Now registered as a Civil Society Organisation in Kotido district, JCAHW manages grants from Oxfam to train new practitioners, including 20 female CAHWs during 2004, and to coordinate training and vaccination activities between rival ethnic groups. The success that has been seen with JCAHW has encouraged Oxfam to embark on a similar process for coordinating private water pump technicians during Oxfam GB

reliant on grain stocks. At such times however, availability of grain deteriorates, terms of trade shift in favour of grain traders and purchasing power declines.

15 Case study 3: Women s grain banking Women highlighted food security as a matter of grave concern during planning meetings. As the dry season sets in, milk production falls and the majority of the herd is taken to distant pastures, so the household, where women, children, the elderly and infirm live, becomes increasingly reliant on grain stocks. At such times however, availability of grain deteriorates, terms of trade shift in favour of grain traders and purchasing power declines. Grain banking is a known practice in Karamoja although it is practiced by individual households on a very small scale and the grain reserves last for a short time. Oxfam therefore supported a number of women s groups to develop community grain stores with the aim of preserving stocks from community-managed agricultural plots. Oxfam has also trained women in post-harvest appropriate technologies and is supporting improvement of private granaries in addition to the community grain stores. Kotido Pastoral Development Programme 15

16 Grain banking by community groups is increasingly done on a commercial basis. During the year of their inception, the groups quickly learned that they could sell their grain locally at a profit and procure additional grain from outside Karamoja. As a group they could overcome significant transaction costs and thus increase availability of grain in an area with hitherto poor market access, simultaneously putting control over financial assets into the hands of women for the first time. The consumers are other pastoralists who benefit from the improved stability in availability and price of grain. The women s groups are now expanding beyond grain banking and have opened general stores in their parishes where formerly no infrastructure existed. The knock on effect of this project is an increasing selfesteem among group members, a growing participation of women in community development and an increased respect for their capabilities. The training programmes always endeavour to use a peer-learning approach, thereby enabling women from rival territorial groups to share their skills, and thus supporting ongoing peace-building efforts. Additionally, the Ik, who faced mild food insecurity in Kamion during 2005, were able to access grain from the women s groups when formerly they would have been reliant on aid agencies to bring them relief. 16 Oxfam GB

17 Conflict Conflict is a major constraint to development in Karamoja, causing immediate hardship to households caught in the crossfire, or losing stock to raiders. The insecurity of the region compromises the development process by intimidating development agents and service providers. Law enforcement agencies in Karamoja are ineffective and periodically the central government takes strong action against local insecurity, carrying out disarmament, which invariably escalates the violence and reinforces the desire for weapons. Oxfam follows a conflict sensitive programming approach In Kotido. This approach requires mainstreaming of conflict resolution in all project activities and ensures that the implications of individual activities on conflict are analysed and accounted for. The programme supports conflict resolution and management through its work with the Resident District Commissioner s office, through support for the district s Conflict Management Committee and through support for local CSO peace actors, such as the interfaith organisation KOPEIN. Oxfam is using its presence on either side of the Karamoja-Turkana border to support the coordination of cross-border peace interventions, although such processes are in their infancy. HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS is a cause for concern in Karamoja and, despite a generally low prevalence, there are reports of an increasing number of cases over past years. Oxfam s research indicates that market access may be a key factor Kotido Pastoral Development Programme 17

18 in the spread of HIV as the main exposure is through commercial sex, which tends to be limited to market centres. Development in pastoral areas invariably involves a gradual increase in the commoditisation of livestock and thus development goes hand in hand with increased exposure to HIV/AIDS. Although Oxfam is still at an early stage in learning about the HIV implications of pastoral development, the issue is being mainstreamed into all activities from the beginning of 2005, with an immediate focus on education of all staff, partners and participants to Oxfam programmes. Funding The Kotido Pastoral Development Project is a nineyear programme ( ) implemented in three phases of three years. The Project is part of a fifteen year, six-country, Regional Pastoral Programme, which includes significant focus on national and regional level advocacy for pastoral rights and pro-pastoral policy development. During 2004/05 the Kotido programme was supported with 170,000 from Development Cooperation Ireland (DCI) and 150,000 from Oxfam GB. During 2005/06 the project is supported with 225,000 from DCI, 150,000 from Oxfam Ireland and 200,000 from Oxfam GB. 18 Oxfam GB

19 (Endnotes) 1 At the time of publication it appears Dodoth County of northern Kotido will soon be given district status, bringing the number of districts to four. 2 Livestock production contributes 17% of Uganda s agricultural GDP, yet 95% of the country s meat and 85% of its milk comes from dry-land areas and traditional production systems. The country s fourth largest export earner, hides and skins, depends on pastoral areas for 90% of its product (see Pastoralism in Uganda. Muhereza and Ossiya, 2004). 3 Oxfam, An analysis of factors affecting livestock market access in Nakasongola, Kotido and Sembabule districts. 4 A copy of Oxfam s 2004 study entitled Capacity Building for Empowerment: the Kotido review is available on request from Oxfam GB, Uganda. 5 Available on request from Oxfam GB, Uganda. Kotido Pastoral Development Programme 19

20 Contacts Kotido Project Manager: Simon Nangiro (Tel: +256 (0) ) Uganda Pastoral Programme Coordinator: Jonathan Davies (Tel: +256 (0) ) 20 Oxfam GB

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