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Enhanced Livelihoods in the Mandera Triangle (ELMT)

The Enhanced Livelihoods in the Mandera Triangle (ELMT) Program (known in Ethiopia as the Enhanced Livelihoods in Southern Ethiopia - ELSE) is part of USAID’s broader Regional Enhanced Livelihoods in Pastoral Areas (RELPA) Program that aims to support a more effective move from emergency-relief dependency to resiliency and sustainable actions that promote long-term economic development in pastoral areas. At the heart of this two year program (September 2007 - August 2009) is a commitment on the part of donors, regional governments and the affected populations to change how emergency and development challenges in arid and semi-arid areas are addressed, and to support new and innovative adaptive strategies.

ELMT is the field-based component of RELPA and is being implemented by a Consortium of six actors with extensive experienced in the region. ELMT is led by CARE Somalia together with CARE Kenya, CARE Ethiopia, Save the Children/US (SC/US), Save the Children/UK (SC/UK) and Vétérinaires Sans Frontières-Suisse (VSF-S), who also work with more than 20 local partner-organizations and international resource agencies.

Goal: The ELMT program aims ‘to increase the self-reliance and resiliency of the targeted population through improved livelihoods in drought prone pastoral areas of the Mandera Triangle.

Results: There are six expected results for ELMT:

1. Livestock based livelihoods protected in the event of an emergency;
2. Livelihoods enhanced through improved livestock production, health, and marketing;
3. Natural resource management enhanced;
4. Livelihoods enhanced by strengthened alternative an complementary livelihood strategies;
5. Strengthened capacity of customary institutions in peace building, civil governance and conflict mitigation;
6. Pastoralist area ‘voice’ in dryland policy formulation and implementation strengthened at all levels.

Strategies: ELMT employs three strategies that build on the field-experience of consortium members and other skilled actors in the region: 1) review, verify and consolidate the evidence base, (i.e. best-practice), 2) disseminate and scale up the evidence-base or ‘best-practice’, and 3) based on strategies 1 & 2, develop policy ‘roadmaps’ or guidelines that inform ongoing and developing policy initiatives in the RELPA program area, as well as help guide investment in the Horn of Africa.

ELMT collaborates closely with stakeholders at all levels including communities, local, national and regional governments, development organizations, research centres and the private sector, and also works directly with customary institutions, women, youth and other vulnerable and marginalized groups in its operational area.

ELMT Consortium Member

CARE	Save the Children	Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse