Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa (PENHA)
www.penhanetwork.org
Organisational
profile:
PENHA was first established in Britain in 1989 by a group of research and development
workers from the Horn of Africa. It gained charity status in English law in
1993 and moved its operational base from London to Addis Ababa in 1994 but the Eritrea-Ethiopian conflict in 1998
compelled the organisation to relocate its Head Office back to London.
PENHA’s primary aims
are:
§
To empower
pastoralist communities and their institutions to play a full role in their
development.
§
To influence
development policy and development programme design to foster sustainable
livelihoods among pastoralists.
During its early years PENHA mainly concentrated on fostering links between researchers on pastoral development in the Horn of Africa, and was able to commission original research and circulate papers. Following the collapse of the Mengistu regime, PENHA located its main office in Addis Ababa. However, in 1998, its Executive Director, its Chair and one staff member were declared persona non grata as a result of their Eritrean origin, and PENHA was forced to relocate to London. At roughly the same time, PENHA re-oriented the main thrust of its activities from research to capacity building for pastoralist NGOs and CBOs in the Horn countries.
PENHA has for a number of years been engaged in managing programmes of capacity building in several countries of the Horn and in some ways, each country programme has a slightly different mode of operation and relation to local partners. However, one common thread is that in each country PENHA has a local country chapter that guide programming in that country.
Somaliland: PENHA works as an operational NGO, under funding from the Baring Foundation and Comic Relief, to build capacity within NGOs and within the Ministry of Pastoral and Environmental Affairs (which recognises PENHA's unique role in the pastoral sector). Focal sectors include micro-credit and range management.
Eritrea: PENHA has a small office and works, under funding from NOVIB, in support of the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students, which has lately developed a strong interest in pastoralism as many of its membership are of pastoral origin. Working in this way through a "mass organisation" is as far as we
know a unique approach to pastoralism in Eritrea, where other NGOs have found it difficult to work. Having carried out action research on the impacts of war on Eritrean pastoralists, and on problems of pastoral education, NUEYs in conjunction with PENHA is now working to establish pastoral associations in three districts.
Uganda: With assistance from CORDAID and other donors, PENHA has worked since 1999 to build capacity among NGOs working in pastoral areas of Uganda, both the Southwest and Karimoja, such as the Uganda Gender Resource Centre and the Nyabushozi Development Association, and among pastoral CBOs. PENHA is actively seeking funds to continue this work. PENHA staff have also acted as a resource to government and international NGOs for the development of pastoral policy.
Sudan: On very small-scale resources from Cordaid PENHA has encouraged networking among Sudanese NGOs, provided a secretariat for the Sudan Pastoralist Forum and carried out ethno-veterinary research.
Ethiopia: Despite political obstacles, PENHA continues to administer a UK national lottery grant to the pastoralist Concern Association of Ethiopia, and is represented on the Pastoralist Forum of Ethiopia.
Regional: One cross-cutting activity is research on Pastoralist Parliamentary Groups that PENHA has carried out in conjunction with NRI in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia. Beyond that, we are conscious that at the moment PENHA is not fully engaging in regional activities, such as advocacy and cross-country learning, due to a lack of resources, and the constant search for funding for country programmes.
1.5 PENHA’s Achievements
¨ Facilitated
the delivery of training courses for middle and lower ranking extension staff
from government ministries, NGOs and CBOs in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Sudan and Uganda involving
220 trainees.
¨ Developed of
a network of research associates (mostly in the region) from whom it draws its
expertise to undertake the bulk of its research activities. It has over 150 research associates in the
Horn and more than 30 Southern-based partners including local NGOs, government
departments, universities and inter-governmental organisations. PENHA has over
the years successfully developed and engaged instructors drawn from pastoralist
areas for training and development of micro projects.
¨ Organised and
facilitated workshops, conferences, research studies and undertaken advocacy on
behalf of Horn of Africa pastoralists and impart information and
skills for challenging prevailing misconceptions about pastoralism.
¨ Contributed
to the emergence of many local pastoralist organisations in the Horn of Africa and have
helped to create local and regional networks and information exchanges.
¨ PENHA has for
several years successful undertook partnership and collaborative works at the
Sheno Research Centre, initially with the Institute of Agricultural Research
and now with the Agricultural Bureau of the Amhara Regional State of
Ethiopia. The first stage of the work
involved the testing of a number of herbs for their effect on parasites in the
digestion systems of sheep. This phase
of the research has been successfully completed and reported in a paper jointly
issued by PENHA and the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture.
¨ PENHA's
achievements also include the development of partnership initiatives with
research institutions, relevant government departments/ministries, local NGOs,
CBOs and indigenous pastoral groups in the region, facilitating skills
exchanges, the sharing experiences, expertise and good practices within and
across the Horn of Africa countries. For
example, PENHA is one of the few regional non-governmental organisation
that has been bridging the information exchange gap and encouraging the sharing
of research information on pastoralism between countries of the Horn of Africa.
¨ PENHA acts as
a forum for debate on pastoralism within the Horn of Africa and on
average facilitates three thematically based workshops per year in different
countries. Through these processes,
PENHA provides information from its research publications, in generating
debate, sharing expertise, knowledge, skills and experiences with other
stakeholders including policy makers.
¨ In 1991-98 PENHA conducted a number of policy
orientated researches in collaboration with the Eritrea government
ministries including the ministry of Agriculture, Land and Housing Commission,
Health and Education and the University of Asmara. The
researches generated the required information and useful data for addressing a
number of Eritrea problems.
¨ PENHA's staff
assist local NGOs, CBOs and government ministries in acquiring relevant
information from sources inside and outside the region. It has undertaken over 20 policy oriented
researches. In 1997 used its research to
organise eight training courses for 220 middle and lower ranking extension
staff from government ministries and NGOs in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda.
¨ In Eritrea,
PENHA’s 1996 / 97 collaborative research work with Asmara University of Health
Sciences and the Eritrea Government’s Ministry of Health entitled ‘Health
Assessment in Pastoral areas in Eritrea’ and its subsequent workshop in
November 1997 on the research findings made recommendations that led to the
Eritrea Government’s development of health policy for pastoralist areas.
PENHA’s regional land tenure studies (1995- 97) were also incorporated into the
land laws of Eritrea and Ethiopia and used by
the Somaliland government for drawing up its Land Law
¨ PENHA has
over the years used its research information for organising and facilitation of
workshops, conferences and advocacy works that have contributed to the
emergence of many local pastoralist organisations in the region and the
creation of local and regional networks and information exchange. PENHA also
assist local NGOs, CBOs and government ministries in acquiring relevant
information from sources inside and outside the region.
¨ Through the
application of practical research methods including, Rapid and Participatory
Rural Appraisal and Needs Assessment, PENHA has developed and successfully runs
training programmes that focus on challenging prevailing misconceptions about
pastoralism and uses instructors drawn from pastoralist areas. PENHA’s training programmes and workshops
usually have delegates or trainees from one or more of the surrounding
countries. This provides an important opportunity for contact between people
from the different countries and contributes to the creation of mutual
understanding that is so important for conflict management in a region where
pastoral areas across international boundaries that give rise to so many
conflicts.
PENHA’s
aims have also been realised in Somaliland through awareness raising and capacity building
workshops. For example:
n
PENHA joined with
VETAID and the Ministry for Pastoral Development and the Environment in a
workshop to explore how pastoral communities could be involved in the process
of decision-making regarding rangeland resource management and utilisation.
About 70 people attended, three-quarters representing pastoralist communities;
n
PENHA and VETAID
joined forces to harmonise the Agricultural Act administered by the Ministry of
Agriculture and the Range Management Act; responsibility of the Ministry of
Pastoral Development and Environment. The two laws were contradictory and
confusing, so PENHA and VETAID have proposed a single, rewritten and integrated
act. The product is now with Parliament for approval;
n
PENHA undertook a
collaborative study for UNICEF, completing the Somaliland portion, with the significant additional benefit of establishing
useful contacts with Puntland pastoralists in the process;
n
PENHA took the
lead in re-establishing the Ban Awl range reserve with the full support of
pastoralist users. The imitative is owned and managed by pastoral associations
and is proving sustainable. Consequently the issue of range management and
rehabilitation is becoming popular and is now embodied in funding policies and
government strategies;
PENHA's
achievements also include its:
- Development of partnerships initiatives between
research institutions, relevant government departments / ministries, local
NGOs, CBOs and indigenous pastoral groups in the region. It acts as a
forum for debate on pastoralism within the Horn of Africa and on
average facilitates three thematically based workshops per year in
different countries. Through these processes, PENHA provides information,
generates debate, share expertise, knowledge, skills and experiences with
other stakeholders including policy makers.
PENHA's
activities encompass all areas of pastoral livelihoods issues to include:
¨ Land tenure
issues, animal health, environmental management, water conservation, human and
animal health, education and conflict resolution
The
Minister of Pastoral Development and Environment has confirmed PENHA as the
focal point for pastoralist issues in Somaliland – a significant responsibility
given the enormous importance of pastoralism to the Somaliland economy and the
magnitude of the problems facing pastoralists and PENHA is formulating plans:
· For national programmes, to diversify and expand its funding bases as well as transfer decision-making to national chapters
· For increased networking within the region, through workshops, exchange visits, regional cross-activities and upgrading of its website into an electronic networking tool.
PENHA has found it very difficult to realise its visionary project of an independent regional NGO. Not only has it had to confront particularly harsh ways of the political realities of the region, but it fits uncomfortably between the categories of international and national NGO, and has found it frustratingly difficult to get funding for very worthwhile programmes: too small to interface easily with donors at headquarters level, but not regarded as a national NGO for the purposes of country-level decision- making.
As
an NGO, PENHA is well aware that it can play only a relatively minor and
facilitative role in helping
to solve
the significant and multi-faceted problems facing pastoralists in the Horn of
Africa. PENHA's
website does provide
access to an archive of research material, but we have not yet been able to
develop it
into the
electronic networking tool we would wish it to be, especially given the
physical and political barriers
to networking
across the region. The
organisation is heavily reliant on its partners and supporters and would
welcome
contact from anyone that is interested in pastoralist issues. Financial and
material resources are
always
extremely scarce in the Horn of Africa and PENHA would be grateful for Donor
support.