Prior to 1994, without social or economic development, the 2 million – odd Afar herdsmen who inhabit the vast north - eastern lowlands of Ethiopia were left to the mercy of their own traditional devises. In 1993, in a meeting led by a prominent clan elder, a group of 34 Afar began planning to work together to combat extra-ordinarily high maternal and infant death from seemingly preventable causes in the community. From this historic meeting, the society’s indigenous NGO, Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA) emerged with the mandate of modeling social development within the constraints of pastoral lifestyle and environment to counteract the extreme parameters of poor health and social and economic disempowerment. The greatest challenge in devising these social services was and continues to be that the vast majority of Afar are illiterate (estimated as 98% in 1994) and that fixed institutions of schools and clinics cannot serve the people since moving with their herds is essential to their preservation.
Therefore, using the medium of the Afar language and culture, APDA trains local, once – illiterate people as health workers, community teachers, women extension workers and paravets; equipping them so that they can move with the community they serve. Then, this development team is serving its own community, selected and governed by community leaders. Training is in collaboration with and certified by the Regional Government authorities, APDA having devised the training curricula and written training manuals in Afar language.
APDA has established the following activities as operational in the pastoral society:
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Adult Afar literacy and non-formal education to grade 4 made possible through the ongoing development of
written Afar language -
Primary health focusing on health education, basic treatment, vaccination and mother/ child care
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Deliberate response to pastoral women using literate Afar women as educators and innovators in the
fields of domestic intervention for disease prevention, safe motherhood, stopping harmful practices, female
income generation -
Rain water harvesting
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Animal treatment and vaccination
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Pasture rejuvenation and protection
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Community cooperatives aiming to bring the Afar into the cash economy on their own terms
In all activities, combating the affects of HIV & AIDS, gender equality and risk management are cross – cutting policies.
