Introduction

The livestock development programme started in 2003 as a result of a research conducted in 1997 under the Pastoralists Research and Development Programme-PARDEP. This research aimed at looking into causes of poor development, Poverty and poor livelihoods among the Maasai Pastoralists communities in Monduli and Ngorongoro Districts in Arusha Region; and Simanjiro and Kiteto Districts in Manyara Region all in Northern Tanzania.

The Research (PARDEP) identified main problems hindering development, increasing poverty and poor livelihoods to be insecurity of resource and land tenure as well as poor livestock in terms of quality. Other problems that were identified are lack of social services, deaths due to disease and increasing number of households without livestock. The research findings further identified lack of education among the pastoral communities as well as lack of adequate information on development programmes and activities especially those relating to gender issues and HIV/AIDS as being factors for the increasing poverty and poor livelihood among the Maasai pastoralists and hence hindering development.

To address and solve some of the problems identified through PARDEP, CORDS The Community Research and Development Services-CORDS was founded in 1998 and registered as a Non-Governmental Organization to find means and ways of solving the problems by involving the target pastoral communities themselves, different donors as well as other relevant partners and stakeholders.

The overall objectives of the programme are to reduce poverty, to improve livelihoods, to generate income and to create awareness of the dangers of HIV/AIDS among the pastoral communities.

Other objectives are:

• To Improve Livestock Production and its products

• To Improve Water Supply for livestock

• To Improve Livestock health Services

• To Improve use of locally available inputs

• To Improve Marks for livestock products

• To Build up capacity for CORDS staff

• To raise awareness on HIV/AIDS

Areas of Operations

The livestock development programme carries out activities in Arusha and Manyara Regions in Northern Tanzania. Areas of operation are as tabulated below:-

Implemented Activities

On carrying out implementation of activities to achieve the laid down objectives the Districts Local Government, the village governments, the Pastoral Communities and other stakeholders were involved through information, workshops, Seminars, meetings as well as on physical implementation of the various activities.

The local communities were involved at all stages of the programme in order to make them aware that the achievements from the activities are part of their concerted efforts. Such involvement also aimed at making the community committed to the sustainability of the achievements made through protection of all assets and infrastructures that were introduced during the implementation of the programme.

Funding for the implementation came form donors like the Belgian Government through the Belgium Survival Fund (BSF) and TROCAIRE of New Zealand.

Activities implemented to achieve the stated objective under improvement of livestock production and its products include restocking 85 poor household families with 850 shoats (goats and sheep) and 50 heifers in Longido District Arusha Region, 237 poor households with 2230 shoats and 70 heifers in Kiteto District Manyara Region. It is informative to note that half of the households given livestock are headed by women. The arrangement was to the effect that the first offspring from the shoats are to be passed on to other poor households.

The restocked families are very happy and grateful. They now have milk to feed themselves to improve nutrition, their dignity in the community has been restored, and they get income from milk sales to purchase other household needs.

5 Sahiwal Bulls for cross breeding have been placed at Kimokouwa village in Longido District, Arusha Region and so far 100 crossbred calves have been born. Four (4) Boran Bulls have been placed at Amei Veterinary Centre at Amei Village, Kiteto District Manyara Region for crossbreeding purposes. Some 20 calves have been sired by the Bulls.

Three cattle crushes have been built in Longido District and 2 in Kiteto District. They are to be used to handle cattle for treatment and vaccinations.

For improvement of water supply a 50 million liter water dam was desalted at Orkitikiti village in Kiteto District. It is estimated to be used by over 50,000 livestock and 3,000 people and a number of wildlife.

For improvement of livestock health services 2 dips have been rehabilitated and 1 new built in Kiteto District Manyara Region. It is estimated that the 3 dips shall serve 10,000 livestock. In Longido District Arusha Region 1 new dip was built and 2 repaired. Some 15,000 livestock are going to be dipped to control tick borne diseases.

Each dip has a management committee of 9 people at least three of whom are women. Members of the committee are responsible for monitoring the running of the dip and keeping accounts on payments. Payments are made for any livestock dipped and the money accrued is deposited in the bank account of the respective dip. Each of the dips has at least 500,000/= (US$ 421.94) in their bank accounts.

A veterinary centre has been built at Engarenaibor in Longido District, Arusha Region, and another rehabilitated at Amei in Kiteto district Manyara Region. Both centers are to be stocked with veterinary medicines and drugs as well as agricultural inputs for the neighboring communities to purchase at reasonable prices at and easy reach.

6 Paravets (Community Animal Health Workers – CAHWS) have been trained in Longido District and 7 in Kiteto District to assist the village communities on livestock management and treatment.

Similarly, 6 government extension workers in Longido and 7 in Kiteto District have been trained on livestock management to build up their capacities to attend village communities and to advise them on better livestock and crop management.

To improve the use of locally available inputs, 125 villagers in Longido District and 175 in Kiteto District have been trained on the use of traditional vetenary medicine and better methods of crop management and protection of the environment. The aim is to use those trained to further the knowledge gained to other members of the village communities.

To improve markets for livestock production and its products, a hides and Skins shed and store has been built at Engikaret village in Longido District and similar structures at Loolera village in Kiteto District. A ten youth group for each of the village were trained on hides and skins handling and marketing and were each given a loan of 3,000,000/= Tshs to conduct a hides and skins sale business.

A group of 20 women at Kimokouwa and 20 at Eworendeke villages respectively, were trained on milk handling and processing. A three-room building was built for them and a 1,300,000/= Tshs loan given to start a milk sales business. Similarly a 20 women group has been trained at Lempapuli village in Kiteto District. However this group has had no building constructed neither loan advanced. This shall be done in the coming years plan.

In efforts to build up capacity for CORDS the staff has attended short courses on organizational management, planning and monitoring as well as workshops and seminars conducted by partner organizations and the government

Out Standing Current Activities

The main activities currently are a follow up of the restocked livestock and support to the veterinary centre, delivery of 6 Sahiwal Bulls for Kiteto as well as organizing trainings on Livestock Management and proper utilization of pastures and rangelands. The latter is being conducted at villages in Monduli and Longido Districts in collaboration with the Pastoral Land Use Department.

Future Plans

The programme plans to secure the funding to meet the following objectives:

• To improve livestock production and its products: plans are to restock 120 poor households in Longido district Arusha Region and 500 households in Kiteto District Manyara Region as well as purchasing 20 improved Bulls for crossbreeding in Longido, Kiteto, and Simanjiro Districts. In line with this objective, trainings to Paravets (Community Animal Health Workers – CAHWS) and extension staff as well as the village communities on better methods of livestock production and management will be conducted.

• To improve water supply for livestock: One dam is going to be repaired at Sinonik village in Longido District, one to be desilted in Kiteto District and another one in Simanjiro District. Water troughs are going to be constructed at Kimotorok and Narakawo villages in Simanjiro District. A water pumping engine is going to be supplied to Lempapuli village in Kiteto District.

• To improve livestock health services:

Three new dips are planned to be constructed one each at Loolera, Muitikira and Lesoit Villages in Kiteto District.

Further, plans are underway for building 5 new crushes in Kiteto District at Opropongi, Loolera, Muitikira, Lempapuli and Lesoit Villages.

Training of Paravets, extension staff and the village communities on disease control programmes will also be conducted.

• To Improve the use of locally available inputs:

50 contact farmers are going to be provided with seeds in each of the Districts of Kiteto, Longido and Simanjiro. They shall be trained on proper crop Management, planting, weeding, harvesting, seed selection and storage. This is a strategy for ensuring household food security at village level.

• To increase use of Animal traction:

In the efforts to reduce labour burden in cultivation, a total of 240 ox ploughs are needed for the three Districts namely Kiteto, Longido and Simanjiro for sale to farmers. Inline with these objective, trainings shall be conducted to enable farmers who will buy the ploughs to use the said ploughs properly in the manner that protects the environment by curbing soil erosion.

• To Improve Markets for livestock Production:

A market survey for hides and skins is planned to be done in Kiteto District to study the market trend and potentiality for the product.

A youth group of 10 members shall be reformed and trained on how to run a hides and skins business as well as keeping reCORDS on accounts.

A group of 20 women shall be trained on milk processing at Lempapuli village. A small 3 –room building is to be constructed for handling and processing milk and a loan shall be provided for the group to start a business.

For Longido District the hides and skins youth group at Engikaret shall be restructured and assisted in market Linkaging.

More support in form of follow up is going to be given to the group of women at Kimokouwa and Eworendeke on milk processing. Basic equipment for milk handling and processing shall be purchased for the groups dealing with milk processing.

• To Increase Community Awareness on HIV/AIDS:

Meetings, trainings and seminars are going to be held at each village where the livestock programme operates to increase the villagers' awareness on the dangers of HIV/AIDS and control measures to be undertaken. It is planned that at least 80 people per village shall attend such training and seminars and that they shall pass on the message to other village community members.

• To Build up Capacity for CORDS

It is planned to take 3 members of staff for trainings and short courses on project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Monitoring and Evaluation and follow up of all the activities is going to be made, reports written and the element of sustainability taken into account involving programme staff and the target community.

Conclusion

In efforts to reduce poverty among the pastoral communities a continuous support to livestock production is a prerequisite since livestock keeping is the main preoccupation of the pastoral communities. To this end, constant follow up activities and trainings have to be made. Involvement of the communities in all the stages of any activity involved in the programme is very essential for sustainability. Communities must contribute to costs in terms of cash or labour in all the activities to ensure that the results of the activities are theirs and there-by committing themselves to sustainability.

Lack of funding often interferes with the implementation and continuity of many activities. Determined efforts must be made to look for funds. Networking with other partners is essential to avoid duplication of activities, and to supplement efforts made.