Pastoralists

Resilience

Pastoralist Resilience Causal Model

CARE Ethiopia, CARE Somalia and CARE Kenya have extensive programming in pastoral areas within their countries. In Ethiopia, under the pastoral
women and girls program, underlying causes of poverty analysis was conducted and a theory of change developed. Recently, further research in
Ethiopia and Kenya was conducted with the aim of understanding the pastoral context from economic, climate change, environment and social
perspectives. When combined with learning and evidence from pastoral livelihoods work in Somalia, there is considerable opportunity for greater
impact across the sub-region and thus, 2015, CARE Ethiopia, in collaboration with CARE Kenya and CARE Somalia, developed a causal model1 for
Pastoralist Resilience. The aim of this model is to broadly articulate commonly-understood barriers and pathways to progress across the 3 countries,
provide a framework for program design, and allow for amplifying and reporting impacts at scale.

Figure: CARE- Casual

Model for Pastoralist
Resilience in Horn of
Africa
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1. Context and constraints for pastoralist communities

Livestock-based economies in the Horn of Africa dry lands are portrayed as crisis-prone, suffering from persistent food insecurity due to conflict, lack
of access to unctioning markets, or lack of rain. Pastoralists are stereo-typed as a homogenous group whose livelihoods can be replaced or
‘diversified’.

2. Underlying contextual issues - social norms and barriers and unreliable market systems Pastoralist societies typically have elaborate
patriarchal social institutions that shape women and girls’ social norms and barriers. These norms and barriers constrain the achievement of
development outcomes and restrict the empowerment of, and attainment of individual rights for, these women and girls.

3. Key attributes of a pastoralist resilience model; Anticipatory, Absorptive, Adaptive and Transformative
Development interventions in vulnerable pastoralist communities often fail to prevent recurrent crises – and humanitarian responses often fail to
sustainably protect livelihoods.

4. Pathways to opening opportunities for pastoralist communities

4.1 Accessible Information Services
If information is accessible and user-friendly, decision-making and planning capacity will be improved
4.2 Resources and Livelihood Strategies
If resource allocation and livelihood strategies are improved, opportunities will increase and risk can be diversified
4.3 Inclusive Governance if policies, institutions and services-providers are inclusive, equitable and responsive, governance will be improved
Breaking the endless cycle of crises among pastoralist communities in the dry lands of the Horn of Africa requires models that are sustainable,
productive, equitable (with particular attention to the social norms and barriers affecting women and girls), and resilient. In this respect pastoralism
must be understood as an identity so that opportunities can be developed and risk can be diversified.

5. Conclusion and Goal Statement

Breaking the endless cycle of crises among pastoralist communities in the drylands of the Horn of Africa requires models that are sustainable,
productive, equitable (with particular attention to the social norms and barriers affecting women and girls), and resilient. In this respect pastoralism
must be understood as an identity so that opportunities can be developed and risk can be diversified.
The goal statement of the CARE Casual Model;

Communities make informed livelihood decisions that diversify risk and increase resilience.