Ethiopia – Internally Displaced Persons Program

Employing an Integrated Approach to Rehabilitation & Development

Since the 1950s, constant conflicts over disputed territory have devastated the Ethiopia-Eritrean border leaving a weak economy and a degraded environment. Due largely to the wars, there are no viable local institutions to support growth and development in this area. The shifting border and unstable atmosphere have created a shaky economy and recurring food shortages for several decades. Other problems, such as limited shelter, poor financial infrastructure, and curtailed traditional production activities have resulted in the displacement of large portions of the region’s population.

ACDI/VOCA and its Ethiopian partner organization, Tigray Cooperative Promotion Office (TCPO), teamed up in 2001 to implement the Internally Displaced Persons Program (IDPP). The program employed an integrated approach to rehabilitation and development by organizing three interlinked cooperatives that addressed separate but mutually reinforcing needs in the Dohan area. Drawing on decades of experience in cooperative development, ACDI/VOCA and TCPO facilitated the formation of cooperatives for housing, savings and credit and multipurpose agriculture and empowered members to take economic and managerial control over their community.

Housing Cooperative

The housing cooperative provided material and manpower for home construction to address the lack of adequate shelter in the area. Co-op guidelines mandated that beneficiaries also take part and contribute labor and available resources to the construction of the homes. The cooperative trained local laborers in construction skills so that they could contribute to the project and be qualified for other employment opportunities in the future.

Saving and Credit Cooperative

The savings and credit cooperative established under the IDPP continues to provide community members access to loan capital. The program adopted the proven ACDI/VOCA savings and credit model. Small business owners prepared business plans or received training before receiving loans. This type of cooperative is a locally-owned institution that stores wealth, manages risk and reinvests profit in local businesses. The savings and credit co-op loans alleviate individual poverty and, on a broader scale, promote financial stability in the region.

Agricultural Cooperative

The program also saught to enhance the region's agricultural sector. The vast majority of Dohan’s population raises pastoral livestock and run small agricultural plots. Agriculturalists face an array of problems in this area, including loss of land to mining operations, evaporating market channels and looting of agricultural stores. To address these challenges, IDPP established a multipurpose agricultural cooperative. The co-op is a community-based organization that continues to to tackle issues concerning member farmers.