Regional Reports - the European External Action Service

fattening
Dairy 2 20 66 86 1,490.00
Mesno Kelle 1 64 7 71 12,000.00
Total 233 5754 2294 8072 11,739,847.09
The dynamics in the sector at regional level
NSA are growing quantitatively in Harar. The major influencing factors can be identified as
follows:
1. emerging of informal groupings due to a growing citizen’s participation;
2. Gradual level of institutionalisation of Community-Based Organisation,
mostly Iddirs and Afochas.;
3. The supportive role played by the Local Bureau of Justice;
4. Stimulation and capacity building from Local NGOs, INGOs, and Apex
organisations for the grassroots organisations.
Some trends have be highlighted, namely:
A. Iddirs are gradually assuming the role of Community-Based Social Welfare or Self-Help
Organisations. Both isolated and grouped Iddirs have gradually broadened the
traditional role of assisting the families for burial and in the mourning period (which is
kept as an initial form of social support to the family from the community and as a way
for strengthening community bonds) and have assumed a role in :
• providing social welfare support to the weaker layers of the community
such as OVCs, elderly people, widows and disabled;
• stimulating income generation activities through revolving micro-credit
activities;
• providing mutual help in family crises and difficulties such as diseases,
the death of a breadwinner etc;
• building of small-scale local infrastructures;
• cross-cutting issues, mainly gender and child protection
• cooperating with local authorities in service delivery and consultation
on social problems.
As for this network it has to be highlighted that it is showing a very high potential in
terms of social mobilisation and capacity for strengthening the social capital
(solidarity initiatives, voluntary working services etc.) and they are showing an initial
capacity to interact with the Government at least in terms of consultation for the
planning and regional implementation of the PADSDEP. This process has been
supported by the regional chapter of PANE, to whom the network is affiliated. The
initiative shows some weaknesses and controversial characteristics, namely:
• excess of personalisation and “spirit of leader”. The basic associations, the
Unions and the network have formal democratic internal life and elections are
held regularly, but there is no limit of terms for the Board Members and
Chairmen and some of them have served for more than 15 years. The influence
of powerful members, some of which play different roles in public services and
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