Final Report

Name of Project Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP-2) Somalia - Galmudug, Lower and Middle Shabelle, Banadir, and Country and Regions Lower Juba as well as in new drought-affected areas in Gedo and Baidoa (IDP camps).

Donor USAID/OFDA

Award Number/Symbol AID-OFDA-G-16-00265-01

Start and End Date of Program August 1, 2016 – July 31, 2018

Start and End Date of Reporting Period August 1, 2016 – July 31, 2018

Final Report Date October 31, 2018

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

Executive Summary

Mercy Corps has implemented SELIP II program since August 2016, providing critical life-saving and recovery emergency intervention, initially targeting 66,400 individuals of the most vulnerable disaster-affected households in villages and/or IDP camps, with an initial budget of $2,500,000. Despite the success of SELIP II in responding to humanitarian needs of conflict and climate-affected populations across Somalia, in early 2017 the country experienced severe drought conditions that continued to worsen throughout the year, and Mercy Corps requested an addition budget of $4,000,000 in cost extension. This enabled Mercy Corps to support the disaster-affected communities and families with critical and immediate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs/services, expanded economic recovery and market systems (ERMS) support, and targeted agriculture and food security activities in the South Central Somalia regions of Galmudug, Lower and Middle Shabelle, Banadir, and Lower Juba as well as in new drought-affected areas in Gedo and Baidoa (IDP camps).

Mercy Corps implemented the program in partnership with two sub-awardees, Juba Foundation and NARDO, to reach the vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities. Villages targeted include Marka, Qoryoley and Barawe districts in Lower Shabelle region (Juba Foundation) and Dolo, Bula Hawa, Bardere and Luuq in Gedo (NARDO). These villages were adversely affected by the worsening drought,,inter/intra clan conflicts, Alshabaab-AMISOM and/or incursions by Somali Federal Government forces. Key sectors of focus of SELIP II Program included WASH, agriculture and food security, and livelihoods. Livelihood initiatives prioritized short-term job creation, improved household access to food, and rejuvenated of local markets. Likewise, through food security activities, 57 vital agricultural facilities were rehabilitated. The WASH interventions have ensured access to clean potable water for 311,870 indirect individuals.

Mercy Corps distributed seeds and farming tools to 9,900 small scale farmers who lacked seed and adequate farming tools due to drought or insecurity in villages. Irrigation canals were rehabilitated to support farmers to regenerate their farming activities. This improved household food security and increased income in the Middle and Lower Shabelle regions. The seeds were tested and certified by Darusalam, a registered seed grower that has been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and FAO in Somalia. Additionally, 2,336 vulnerable agro-pastoral and pastoralist households in Merka, Qoryoley, Dolow, Luuq, Beled-Hawo and Baardhere districts of South and Central Somalia were supplied with animal feeds (grass and maize stove) in order to protect their core breeding animals and their livelihood assets. Moreover, 290 community animal health workers received training on basic veterinary services and were provided with professional kits to engage in animal health veterinary services within their local communities. These activities improved livestock production and facilitated recovery from the recent drought.

Mercy Corps implemented new livelihoods development activities consisting of basic tailoring skills training. A total of 264 female beneficiaries, who were displaced by the drought and conflict and currently residing in Galkacyo, Mogadishu, and Kismayu were trained for a period of 6 weeks, after which the beneficiaries were equipped with tailoring machines, start-up materials and formed small scale cooperatives. The trainings were conducted by a skilled tailoring trainer. As a result of these trainings, 66 cooperative groups were formed.

The implementation of the OFDA SELIP II program faced challenges related to the prolonged drought and conflict displacements of households, forced evictions, limited humanitarian access, and multi-layered government administrations. Despite these challenges, Mercy Corps and its two local partners have prioritized the implementation of timely interventions in the areas covered by the OFDA SELIP II grant to improve the ability of drought and conflict affected households and communities in Somalia (targeted regions in South Central Zone of Somalia) to respond to their immediate needs, restore their livelihoods, and build capacity for long-term recovery to enhance the communities’ ability to cope with and recover from natural shocks.

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

Introduction

In August 2016, Mercy Corps began to implement the Somalia Emergency and Livelihoods Intervention Program II (SELIP II) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). This program was designed in conjunction with USAID/OFDA, drawing on Mercy Corps’ strengths and experiences in providing aid in agriculture, livestock, Economic Recovery and Market Systems and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Somalia.

While Somalia has been experiencing a devastating conflict for decades, not all parts of the country have been affected in the same way, and responses should be accordingly nuanced. One of the main characteristics of SELIP II is the combination of emergency relief interventions – such as agriculture kit distribution, and water trucking – with those that take a more resilience and medium-term focused approach. Support for farmers by providing input or rehabilitating irrigation infrastructure, rehabilitation of feeder roads, and teaching women and youth life skills allow people to draw upon the resources they have and build toward a post-conflict future. With this multi-level approach, SELIP II provided immediate aid while simultaneously bolstering the ability of Somalis to cope with the shocks of the conflict and drought.

Given the complexities of the operational environment in Central Somalia, Mercy Corps emphasized accountability throughout SELIP II, as we have with our other projects. We developed robust monitoring and evaluation (MEL) mechanisms supported with our feedback mechanism, a method for people to reach us with complaints, inquiries or encouragement through a number of channels, ensured we heard the voices of those we are trying to serve. We held ourselves accountable to our local partners, by building their capacity through close work with our teams and setting them up for a sustainable future.

Despite difficult circumstances, Mercy Corps was able to adapt and respond to emergent needs and situations throughout SELIP II. When security concerns precluded operations in areas intended for interventions, we engaged communities, other humanitarian actors, and the full breadth of our program to continue to provide services, or, if insurmountable, shifted to address needs elsewhere.

Ultimately, Mercy Corps and its local implementing partners, Juba Foundation and NARDO, were able to respond to the emergency situations in Somalia, particularly in the South/Central Zone of the country, caused by the recurrent droughts, inter-clan conflicts, floods, insurgents, and Al-Shabaab. The response reduced the suffering of 136,497 households (682,485 individuals) of displaced Somalis. The support of USAID/OFDA lessened the impact of the crisis on these community lives and saved lives.

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

Program Achievements

SECTOR 1: Agriculture and Food Security

Agriculture is the mainstay of the rural Somali economy: about 80% of the rural population in Somalia practices farming for  9,900 farmers benefited from their livelihoods. Central South Somalia in particular has been seed systems and agricultural experiencing food insecurity, and farmers required agricultural tools inputs to help restore asset bases, including seeds and tools. Support to small farms in Somalia encourages agricultural  Increased food security by 4.7 production and thereby improves the food security of vulnerable months for smallholder farmers IDPs and host-community households as well as providing a source of income generation. Mercy Corps carried out the  290 Community Animal Health Agriculture and Food Security component of the SELIP II Workers were trained in program throughout the Gu and Dey planting seasons through veterinary services small farm agriculture kits and livestock support, including the distribution of goats and fodder.  33,980 people and 72,760 Small Farm Kits animals benefitted from livestock and fodder interventions The objective of small farm activities is to increase crop production at the household and community level. At the  12,000 hectares of land household level, this enables farmers to improve FSL regained irrigation, benefitting opportunities and to use the income generated to replant 30,455 people without assistance in future seasons. At the community level, increased crop production helps in achieving seed security for future planting seasons, which in turn increases community Beneficiary Snapshots: Supporting resilience to shocks and food availability and offers potential Farming Households price reductions for consumers. is a 36-year-old farmer from Tugarey village in the Through these activities, Mercy Corps and its local partners, Jowhar District of Middle Shabelle. NARDO and Juba Foundation, assisted 9,900 households, owns a four hectare farm which he each with a kit of both farming tools and seeds through the inherited from his father. However due voucher system. The kit content of the farming tools contains to lack of seeds owing to high prices, he one jembe, panga and hand plough and the seed kit comprised was not able to use the land of 5 kg of maize, 2.5 kg of beans, and 1.2 kg of sesame. productively. His wife seven As the lead of the consortium, Mercy Corps assisted 6,600 children were beneficiaries of a food aid small scale household farmers in villages of Jowhar and Bal’ad program by another humanitarian aid districts of Middle Shabelle region. Local partner NARDO agency because the household was supported small-scale farmers in Odaa, Uunsi, and Buwiil considered to be highly food insecure. villages, as well as the villages of Bantaal and Bay in the Beled- Hawo, Luuq and Dolow districts of Gedo region. In October 2017, received SELIP II seed starter packs. He then managed We selected target districts and villages in consultation with to harvest 500kg of beans, 200kgs of local authorities and prioritized them based on the presence of maize and 100 kg of sesames. IDPs and farmers and the availability of underutilized farmland says, “After harvest, I was able to pay with sufficient irrigation or rainwater to support farming all my debts from the sale of the activities. We also conducted community-level assessments in produce, and I don’t think I will need to target villages that evaluated agricultural technical capacity and be a food aid beneficiary anymore”, vulnerability. To determine agricultural technical capacity, we ragged. looked at percentage of agriculture workers in the community, average of landholdings, what crops are widely planted in the area, water resources available in the community for agriculture use, and availability of extension services in the region. Additionally, we confirmed that they had not previously or were currently receiving humanitarian assistance. Mercy Corps also considered the security situation and accessibility of the community to ensure that we would be able to provide the aid planned.

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

To identify beneficiaries in a transparent manner and ensure that the households in greatest need were prioritized for assistance, Mercy Corps selected beneficiaries on eligibility criteria that included experience in farming and access to agricultural land that was between 10 and 25 acres. We also considered the socioeconomic situation of farmers and whether they had benefited from agricultural assistance during the last six months. The FSL team conducted community meeting to share information about the project and eligibility criteria in the target communities then scored applications to select final beneficiaries. After distributing the kits to all selected beneficiaries, the Mercy Corps FSL team organized extension visits during which our technical teams visited farmers in their fields to closely monitor all growing stages of plants and provide technical advice. In addition, we organized group-training sessions to discuss challenges that farmers face such as crop production and protection, weather, accessing agriculture inputs, security, and pre- and post-harvest practices. The extension visits enhanced the agricultural awareness of farmers so that they were able to apply good agriculture practices during growing season, including how to control pests, periodically check the fields, and observe irrigation quantities and intervals. This contributed to an overall increase in the final production of crop per unit area. Mercy Corps’ FSL and MEL teams conducted an impact assessment to determine the effect of the agriculture inputs kits on beneficiaries’ food security and general well-being. The assessment showed that famers benefited from the crops for their own household consumption, income generation, as well as preparation for the coming year’s planting season (seed production). The data collected by the program team from small farm kit recipients showed that 99% of household beneficiaries planted in the right time and 100% said the quality of seeds were of good quality. The team also noted an average net income of USD $2330 per household after harvest. The beneficiaries of the agricultural kits also reported an increase in the availability of food. The average months of self-sufficiency after each season of harvest was increased to 4.70 months. This fell short of the intended six months due to low rainfall and high occurrences of pests and disease in 2017, inefficiencies in manual cultivation, decreased hectares planted, and lower yields.

Table 1. Agriculture Seed Kit / Average Outputs – FSL Team Findings Expected Seed quantity distributed Average cultivated Total Value average yield Market Value (USD/kg) per household area (hectares) (USD) (kg/) 2.5 kg Beans 0.5 hectares 250 $3/kg $750

5k g Maize 0.5 hectares 750 $2/kg $1500 1.2 kg Sesame 0.18 hectares 40 $2/kg $80 Total $2330

Livestock and Fodder The conflict and successive periods of drought in Somalia has Beneficiary Snapshots: caused the loss of large numbers of livestock. Families must Livelihoods through Livestock consume or sell these important assets, and shortages of fodder and vaccinations limit the ability of breeders to maintain A women beneficiary of the livestock their herds. Supporting breeders through the provision of and fodder activity in Jowhar District livestock and/or fodder improves their possible income- could not hide her joy and surprise after generating activities and food security while decreasing receiving five goats (four females and negative coping mechanisms such as selling animals. This one male). She later explained that she activity was particularly important in South Central Somalia, was able to get the milk from the goat where livestock is the main livelihood. for her children under the age of five.

Mercy Corps and NARDO have supported a total of 2,336 households (including 433 female-headed households) in Galmudug, Lower/Middle Shabelle and Gedo regions with quality fodder to feed their animals during the two months’ dry period when pastures are in shortage. Throughout the project, a total of 2,126 tons of quality fodder in 106 Lorries each carrying 20 tons was distributed, each household received 0.910 tons, which is equivalent to 910 kg's of quality fodder. On average, 20 tons of fodder managed to feed 200 shoats per month. Mercy Corps and its partners targeted villages in Galmudug, Lower/Middle Shabelle and Gedo regions based on the presence of the high number of IDPs in these areas, the presence of small livestock breeders, the availability of space to keep livestock, and the communities’ existing knowledge of livestock care. Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

Restocking Mercy Corps and NARDO have supported 3,492 households (including 1,932 female-headed households) with 17,460 shoats. Each household received five shoats (four female and one male) Mercy Corps as the consortium lead supported 3,300 households out of the 3,492 targeted households in villages under Jowhar, Bal’ad, Wanla-Weyn, Galkayu, Hobyo, Dhusomareb, Adado and Abudwak districts of Middle/Lower Shabelle, Mudug, and Galgaduud regions by distributing 16,500 Shoats. NARDO supported 192 households out of the 1,992 households in villages under Luuq, Dolow, Beled-Hawo and Baardhere districts of Gedo region where 960 shoats were distributed. This activity improved nutritional status of vulnerable community members through goat milk consumption, improved food security through livestock assets accumulation, and prevented the extinction of pastoralism. The procurement and distribution process happened at an appropriate time to ensure the local rangelands had adequate tropical grass and the trees had blossomed to support the animals grazing needs. In addition, Mercy Corps and partners engaged the services of recognized professional livestock and veterinary groups or entities to supervise and check the procured herd status for any ailments, diseases and suitability (size and age) before distribution.

Left: Livestock specialists examining goats before distribution. Right: Under five children, benefited from milk after restocking. – Bal’ad District, Middle Shabelle Region

The activity targeted those households who either possessed a few animals and are motivated to return to a livestock-based way of life and also possessed the relevant livestock rearing skills and knowledge. With the participation and involvement of community, Mercy Corps developed selection criteria which included the initial wealth ranking system based on vulnerability indicators such as female-headed households with young dependents, potential dropouts from pastoral life with 5 or less shoats and 2-3 camels/ cattle, and willingness to go back to pastoral life. For every selected individual, a background information form was filled and kept with Mercy Corps and/or partners.

Training of Community Animal Health Workers (CAHW) Mercy Corps and its local partner Juba Foundation have trained 230 CAHWs (including 19 women) in sixteen training groups, each one a six-week intensive course. 72,760 animals benefited from their services. The participants were selected from pastoral and agro-pastoral communities, and the selection prioritized people who already had traditional and basic knowledge on animal husbandry and formal or traditional veterinary treatments. The participants were selected from the following villages: Tulo Sarman, Idole and Bahdo villages in Adado district of Galgaduud region; Do’ol, Qodah-Tolle, Bandiradley and El-Dibir villages in Galkayu and Hobyo districts respectively of Mudug region; Qasim-Barawe village of Barawe district of Lower Shabelle region; villages under Bal’ad and Jowhar districts in Middle Shabelle region; and villages under Wanla-Weyn district of Lower Shabelle region.

The CAHW training empowered participants with the skills and knowledge to provide essential veterinary health services such as vaccination, treatment (veterinary drug administration and handling with a special focus on ethical veterinary drugs), and the ability to determine the expiry dates of the veterinary drugs. They are now able to ensure that they are not supplied with expired drugs, and they now have the capacity to identify and control animal diseases through surveillance and vaccinations in partnership with Professional Livestock Pastoral Associations which is linked to the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Environment (MOLAE) offices in these regions.

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) under training during a practical session – Jowhar District, Middle Shabelle Region

In addition to knowledge and skills development, the 230 trained CAHWs were provided with professional kits comprised of 14 key items to help treat the local community livestock against a variety of debilitating conditions that threaten livestock productivity, value, health and survival. A total of 72,760 animals benefited from the services of trained CAHWs. The main diseases treated includes endo- and ectoparasites, respiratory diseases, blood parasites, and wounds and mastitis, all at affordable prices. Furthermore, Mercy Corps and partners managed to link the trained CAHWs local veterinary suppliers, the Ministry of Livestock, and agro-vet shops in order to create a sustainable business relationship.

Quality Control and Quality Assurance in Agriculture and Food Security Activities To ensure the quality of all agricultural products provided to beneficiaries and adhere to all required regulations, Mercy Corps developed quality control procedures for all FSL activities. The following procedures were applied throughout the program cycle:  Quality assurance tests of samples received with the offers during tendering  Quality assurance tests during verification visits to supplier’s warehouses of samples collected from warehouses  Quality assurance tests after issuing the contract for samples collected during preparation of the kits  Quality assurance and spot check tests during distribution and follow-up extension visits

Table 2: Criteria for Inspection Physical quality: shape, size, type/class, variety matching, uniformity; free from mechanical damages, contamination, weed seeds, insects, sterilization material Seeds Physiological quality: germination percentage, germination velocity, mean germination rate, and seedling vigor Fertilizer Granule size, color, uniformity, caking, dissolving, particle hardness/density and tendency to generate dust and fines Compost Smell, texture, color, fermentation, and freedom from plant residuals, stones, insects, and weed seeds Fodder Color, form, smell, uniformity, caking, moisture content, and purity

Goats Shape, type, height, size, weight, age, body to legs uniformity, udder, tail, skin, eyes shining, diseases, and pregnancy status Tools Weight, size, dimensions, firmness, capacity, and material quality

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

SECTOR 2: Economic Recovery and Market Systems (ERMS)

During the reporting period, Mercy Corps and partners rehabilitated community infrastructure and productive assets including agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation canals, ditches and roads that link farmers to markets. The agricultural sector has badly damaged by conflict in recent years. Given that it was one of the main drivers of economic activity, Mercy Corps’ repairs to infrastructure helped to stimulate economic growth. During SELIP II, Mercy Corps used the cash-for-work (CfW) approach to rehabilitate crucial economic infrastructure. A total of 10,388 people including 4,831 women participated. On average each household received $70 per month. The approach created temporary employment for local people including women, youth and girls who are often marginalized in economic activities. It also served as a way to provide much- needed cash assistance to households who previously had no source of income due to drought and conflict- induced loss of livelihoods.

Repair of irrigation canals During the program period, Mercy Corps and local partners supported the rehabilitation and development of 57 irrigation canals in 57 villages across the Middle Shabelle, Lower Shabelle and Gedo regions. The average length of the rehabilitated irrigation canals is 5,000 meters (0.31 miles), and the width /depth of each canal is approximately one meter each. The total miles of irrigation canals rehabilitated was 177. The rehabilitation of the irrigation canals was completed using a CfW strategy, where 9,407 beneficiaries (including 2,214 women) were involved for a period of 20 days each for a total of 165 beneficiaries for every canal. Before the rehabilitation of the irrigation canals, there were 28,603 farmers benefiting from the canals. The number of farmers increased to 30,455 after the rehabilitation since the canals irrigation capacity can cover all farms in the area. This activity has indirectly supported an estimated number of 46,411 individuals, equivalent to 9,282 households.

Mercy Corps CFW irrigation canal rehabilitation interventions targeted only main central (primary) channels and not small secondary/tertiary and/or the private sections that supply individual farms. These common channels are community owned and supply several farm plots for many different households rather than serving individual farms. Mercy Corps also organized village committees responsible for maintenance. Rehabilitation and repair of irrigation canals required of cleaning dirt, soil and weeds from irrigation and agricultural drainages, repairing and restoring walls of some canals, widening the canals and improving gravitational flow of water with minimum seepage.

Before Rehabilitation During Rehabilitation After Rehabilitation Korebe Village, Bal’ad District – Middle Shabelle Region

One of the notable impacts of this activity was the resumption of rice growing by Somali farmers in Jowhar and Balcad districts of middle Shabelle region following improved access and availability of agriculture water. Rice is a high value crop in Somalia; however, growing rice requires more water than other crops such as maize, wheat, and beans. The irrigation canals in these districts were vandalized years ago due to conflict between the warring parties and also destruction by floods. Over a decade, the irrigation canals were not repaired or maintained and became dysfunctional. Access and control of agricultural land and infrastructure has been part of the broader conflict between clans aliened warring groups. The climatic conditions in these districts is suitable for rice production, but for years, the climatic potential could not be realized because of the damaged irrigation canals. An improvement in rice productivity is therefore a positive indication of stability, resilience and recovery.

The opening up of irrigation canals improved land quality, enabled farmers to plant more than 12,190 Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

hectares of crops, and spurred other production activities such as crop diversification and fishing in the canals. Renewed farming meant the resuscitation of agro-based markets including high value crops like rice and horticulture crops. The improved irrigation increased the value of the land from $25 to $75 USD per acre. This land value increase contributed to an increase of farmers’ income. Cleaning the canals reduced the prevalence of insects, rodents and odors, and improved the environment around the canals. Additionally, farmers used byproducts (silt) from the cleaning to fertilize their lands. Implementation of this activity also created job opportunities for farmers and laborers who were hired to take part in the cleanup for cash. Finally, the intervention re-activated farmers’ unions and irrigation management committees for a sustained impact.

Rehabilitation of Irrigation Ditches During the program period, Mercy Corps and local partners rehabilitated 37 ditches in the respective program locations. As the lead partner, Mercy Corps rehabilitated 15 ditches in Bayhaw, Halgan, Nukay, Bulo-Waray, Abdi-Galadi, Bulo-Degan, Sheikh Oyaye, Sabun, Bulo-Tigey, Maandhere, Baaro-Weyne, Daymo-Samo and Yaqlow villages, and Bulo-Doonka and Kurtunle villages in Jowhar and Ba’ad districts in Middle Shabelle region respectively in Hirshabelle State of Somalia. The rehabilitation of the 15 ditches was completed through CfW strategy with the involvement of 105 male CfW beneficiaries for a period of five days. Juba Foundation rehabilitated 15 ditches in Bulo-Sadiiq, Bulo-Garas, Nagadweyne and Bulo-Ranbow villages; and Bulo-Madow, Huduman, Bulo-Sheikh, Jazeera, Farhan, Halane, Qoryoley town, Tugarey, Bulo-Ishow and Ureenow villages of Merka and Qoryoley districts of Lower Shabelle regionin the South/West State of Somalia. In Huduman village alone, there are two ditches that were rehabilitated by the program, with all other villages benefitting from the rehabilitation of one ditch for every village.

A similar CfW strategy was used for the rehabilitation of the 15 ditches involving 150 CfW beneficiaries (including 36 women) for a period of five days. Finally, NARDO rehabilitated 7 ditches in Bantaal-Bay, Miskiinow and Bura-Boor villages; Uunsi and Odaa villages; and Boyle village in Dolow, Balad-Hawo and Luuq districts of Gedo region respectively in Jubbaland State. NARDO used a similar CfW strategy for the rehabilitation of the seven ditches involving 81 CfW beneficiaries (including 25 women) for a period of 5 days. Irrigation canals rehabilitated in this manner have improved capacity because of the improved elevation, cleared of bush, and the sides protected with concrete, the water can now flow faster as opposed to when it is flat and unenclosed. These enhanced the supply water to all farms in a regulated manner.

Rehabilitation of Troughs The irrigation canals along the Shabelle and Juba river areas use water pumps – mostly diesel or solar – to pump water into the irrigation canals from the river. It was necessary to construct troughs that reduced water pressure in order to prevent loss of water and/or flooding. Therefore, Mercy Corps and local partners – rehabilitated 20 troughs in their respective program locations (i.e. Middle Shabellle, Lower Shabelle and Gedo regions). Mercy Corps rehabilitated three troughs in Muryaale, Sabun and Maandhere villages of Jowhar district of Middle Shabelle region in Hirshabelle State. The rehabilitation was done through a CfW strategy where 21 male CfW beneficiaries were involved for a period of five days. Simalarily, Juba Foundation rehabilitated 10 troughs in Bulo-Madow, Ali-Shambi, Halane, Huduman, Qoryoley town, Tugarey and Bulo- Iishow villages; and Bulo-Ma-Ooye, Bulo-Jini and Bulo-Sadiiq villages in Qoryoley and Merka districts of Lower Shabelle region. A similar CfW strategy was used to rehabilitate the ten troughs with the involvement of 130 CfW beneficiaries including 20 women. NARDO rehabilitated seven troughs in Miskiinow; and Uunsi and Odaa Villages in Dolow and Balad-Hawo districts of Gedo region respectively in Jubbaland State. A similar strategy was used to rehabilitate these seven troughs – CfW strategy with the involvement of 77 CfW beneficiaries including 10 women. In all instances, the average size of the rehabilitated troughs is 1.5 meters square. This activity strengthened the irrigation canal lifespan and prevented water loss.

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

Before Rehabilitation During Rehabilitation After Rehabilitation Muryaale Village, Jowhar District – Middle Shabelle Region

Rehabilitation of Culverts Mercy Corps and its local partners rehabilitated 39 culverts in the target program locations. Irrigation culverts are another important part of the irrigation system. Culverts connect the series of canals and feeder roads in and out around the farms. After the rehabilitation farmers, livestock, and traders can now access farms and towns that serve as important trading centers and thereby strengthen the livelihood and economic recovery of the targeted beneficiaries.

Mercy Corps, as the lead partner, rehabilitated 15 culverts in Halgan, Bayhaw, Magadley, Bulo-Waray, Abdi- Galadi, Lama-Waab, Muryaale, Sheikh Oyaye, Sabun, Maandhere, Baro-Weyne, Daymo-Samo and Yaqlow villages and Bulo-Doonka and Koo-Reebe villages in Jowhar and Bal’ad districts. The rehabilitation of the fifteen culverts was done through CfW strategy with the involvement of 105 male CfW beneficiaries for a period five days.

Juba Foundation rehabilitated 18 culverts in Bulo-Mudey, Tugarey, Bulo-Siidow, Nagadweyne, Osman-Salah, Garas-Tuug, Osman-Qunle and Bulo-Rambow villages; and Ureenow, Bulo-Madow, Bulo-Bulow, Bulo- Sheikh, Farhan, Halane, Qoryoley town, Huduman, Tugarey and Bulo-Ishow villages of Qoryoley and Merka districts of Lower Shabelle region. Juba Foundation also used a CfW strategy for the rehabilitation of the 18 culverts, engaging 234 CfW beneficiaries (including 51 women) for a period of five days. NARDO rehabilitated six culverts in Miskiinow and Bura-Boor villages; Uunsi and Odaa villages; and Boyle village in Dolow, Balad- Hawo and Luuq districts of Gedo region respectively in Jubbaland State. A similar strategy was used for the rehabilitation of the six culverts, engaging 78 CfW beneficiaries (including 15 women) for a period of five days.

Rehabilitation of Feeder Roads Mercy Corps completed the rehabilitation of 10 feeder roads including one feeder road in the Middle Shabelle region of Hirshabelle State in Bal’ad, , four roads in the Lower Shabelle region including Merka (one feeder road), Barawe (one feeder road) and Qoryoley (two feeder roads); and five roads in Mudug and Galgaduud regions in Galmudug State in Galkayu (one feeder road), Hobyo (two feeder roads), and Adado (two feeder roads). The rehabilitation work included the clearance of bush, pit filling, removal of hard unwanted debris and so on. The modality for the rehabilitation of the 10 feeder roads was aCfW Strategy where 1,050 CfW laborers (all male laborers) were engaged for a period of 20 days for each feeder road rehabilitation. Mercy Corps provided CfW tools, i.e. spades, rakes, axes and wheelbarrows for the rehabilitation of the 10 feeder roads. The CfW tools were finally (upon the feeder roads rehabilitation) handed over to the community for community activities. Accordingly, farmers can now access local markets with their produce.

New Livelihoods Development: Basic Tailoring Skills Training & Establishment of Cooperative Groups, Provision of Startup Materials and Cash Grants for the Groups During the SELIP II, 264 female IDPs were selected from 27 IDP camps and new Kismayu settlement (home for voluntary returnees from Kenya in Kismayu district) and trained on basic tailoring skills. After the training, each training cohort of eight people was divided into two groups for the formation of a cooperative group, comprised of four members and formally structured as follows: chairlady, vice-chairlady, treasurer and secretary. Accordingly, Mercy Corps facilitated the formation of 66 cooperative groups in Mogadishu, Galkayu and Kismayu. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) was then signed between Mercy Corps and the newly formed Cooperative Groups detailing the support to be received from Mercy Corps. The intention for

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

signing the MoUs was to define clearly how the seed capital (cash grants) would be delivered.

Left: During Basic Tailoring Skills Training, Ala-Futow IDP Camp, Right: Basic Tailoring Skills Training – El-Bashir IDP camp, Daynile District, Banadir Region

After acquiring skills in tailoring, the group received a seed capital grant of $1,250 in two installments – 55% in the first installment and 45% in the second installment for easy management. With this seed money, they purchased sewing machines, garments and other required inputs. The program fully delivered the first and second installments of the seed capital to the 66 cooperative groups in Kismayu district of Lower Juba region. Now, the groups are operational in their own small business centers where they sell clothing to the local market. This activity has improved well-being of marginalized women who face cultural and economic barriers to access economic opportunities. On average, each group member is earning a net profit of about $15 per day in clothing sales, and they are now able to send their children to school. Other women in camps who have witnessed the positive impact of the tailoring training have since expressed to participate in these women’s vocational trainings. Clothing is a basic need, and the demand is high in camps because the displaced people they come into camps without carrying all their clothing as they flee from conflict.

Advanced embroidery Tailoring Skills Training for Existing Cooperative Groups This activity was designed to further advance the cooperative group members trained previously under the SELIP II Program funded by the USAID/OFDA, with the primary goal of enabling these cooperative group members to further gain advanced skills in embroidery which is highly demanded by the textile market in Somalia. It is only Mercy Corps who implements this activity. During the program period, 12 of such training were conducted – six in Mogadishu, four in Kismayu and two in Galkayu. There were 48 female trainees from 12 Cooperative Groups in Kahda and Daynile; Kismayu, and Galkayu districts of Banadir, Lower Jubba and Mudug regions respectively. The twelve training continued for a period six weeks where Mercy Corps’ role was to facilitate the costs for the trainers, the procurement of embroidery machines and materials/supplies for the training demonstrations.

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

Sector 3: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

Water Supply Water is essential to sustain life and well-being. To ensure access to safe water by the disaster affected communities, Mercy Corps embarked on a number of interventions including rehabilitation and restoration of water supply infrastructures damaged by conflict and other disasters in affected rural villages in South Central Somalia. This infrastructure include berkads, shallow wells, and water piping systems for the access of both human and livestock access. In addition, Mercy Corps installed water supply infrastructure systems including water piping, elevated storage tanks and water points in new IDP camps for populations displaced by the recent conflicts and ongoing drought in Kismayu, Mogadishu, Galkacyo, Adado and Baidoa areas. The program also supported the disinfection (using chlorine tablets) of water sources. Mercy Corps also supplied water to IDP camps through trucking during the peak periods of drought target rural villages in Galmudug, the Shabelles, Juba, Gedo and Baidoa (IDP camps) areas which are more prone to drought and displacements.

Supply of clean drinking water through water trucking During SELIP II, Mercy Corps and its two local partners supplied 32,740 m3 of clean drinking water over 3270 trips of chlorinated water trucks, reaching an average of 20 liters per person per day supporting the entire population in targeted 67 IDP camps and villages in Mogadishu, Kismayu, Galkayu and Baidoa districts of Banadir, Lower Juba, Mudug and Bay regions respectively. 18 bladders were installed in 18 IDP camps out of the 67 sites targeted by the program. Mercy Corps conducted water trucking to these camps for a period of six weeks delivering 10,000 liters per each trip, three times a week to each village. To monitor water quality, the WASH team carried out 165 free residual chlorine (FRC) water tests at water tanks and water distribution points. Test results show that 99.9% of results at water tanks and water distribution points were >0.20 mg/L, meeting the standard we set for this service. In addition to FRC testing at water distribution points, to ensure hygiene at water distribution points and proper management of water, Mercy Corps trained water management committees comprised of both males and females.

Rehabilitation of water supply systems in the IDP communities (water collection points/supply outlets connected to main lines or water sources) Mercy Corps during the implementation of the SELIP II rehabilitated 21 water supply systems in Daynile, Kahda, Adado, Galkayu and Baidoa districts of Banadir, Galgaduud, Mudug and Bay regions. The rehabilitated water system involved connecting the targeted IDP camps with water supplies from a distant borehole using water pipes into an elevated water tank which pumps water using gravity into a number of water kiosks with the camps. The rehabilitation work was done using a CfW approach where 625 skilled and unskilled beneficiaries including 48 females participated for a period of six days each per each camp. With a bench mark of supplying 15 liters of water per day, an estimated 5,234 households consisting of an approximate 26,170 individuals managed to access water after the rehabilitation of 21 water systems. Extension of water systems into camps improved the protection of women and children who used to travel long distance to fetch water to the water source (borehole) and the increase of water points (kiosk) within the camp also reduced queuing time.

Rehabilitation of shallow wells Mercy Corps and its local partners rehabilitated a total of 48 shallow wells in Kismayu, Merka, Qoryoley and Barawe districts of Lower Shabelle and in Baardhere and Beled-Hawo districts of Gedo region. The rehabilitation work was done through CfW with the involvement of 480 CfW beneficiaries, including 71 women, for a period of five days per each well. The average depth of the rehabilitated shallow wells is 18 meters. The rehabilitated shallow wells serve 14,329 households, equivalent to 71,645 individuals. The targeted communities rely on shallow wells as their source of water for household use. Before rehabilitation, most of the wells were shallow at an average of nine meters. Through this activity, Mercy Corps and partners increased the depth to an average of 18 meters which increased the volume of water of each well. Moreover, before the rehabilitation, the wells were not protected, and users were at risk of water-borne diseases. As such, through SELIP II, 48 wells gained protections including lining the walls with bricks to prevent them from collapse. Mercy Corps mainly targeted community-owned shallow wells and facilitated the formation of water point committee responsible for operation and maintenance of the shallow well after the rehabilitation. Finally, our WASH team considered the site of the wells and ensured they were not near latrines in order to avoid possible contamination of ground water through seepage.

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

Before During After Rehabilitation of shallow well in Qasim Barawe Village, Barawe District – Lower Shabelle Region

Rehabilitation of communally-owned berkads Berkads are used for harvesting rain waters during the rainy season. During the dry seasons, communities refill the berkads with water trucked from distance areas for both animals and human consumption. During the program, Mercy Corps rehabilitated four Berkads in Deeqlo, Qalanqal and Gara’ad villages of Galkayu district in Mudug region and Tulo-Sarman village of Adado district in Galgaduud region. All rehabilitated berkads are communally-owned, and villagers now have equal access to water harvested in the berkads. The average capacity of the rehabilitated berkads is 612 cubic meters. The total estimated number of people collecting water from the four berkads is 3,780 households, equivalent to 18,900 individuals and their animals, which is estimated to be 44,545 heads of cattle, goats, sheep and camels. The berkad is divided into two compartments with completely separate outlets to cater for use by animals and people.

Before During After Construction of the berkad in Gara’ad Village, Galkayu District – Mudug Region

In addition to the construction of main water underground collection reservoir, as per the OFDA-approved design, the Mercy Corps engineering team constructed 50 cubic surface tank on each of the berkads, troughs for animal use, and a water kiosk for humans. The community is now able to pump water from the berkad into the surface tank and trough by a solar pumping system. The architecture of the berkad enables water harvesting in a safe manner: it includes a sand filtration mechanism at the entry point, and our team administered bulk chlorination for water pumped into surface tank. The water trough and water kiosk are situated 15 meters and 10 meters away respectively from the berkads to stop animal and human contact with clean water. We also fenced the berkad and surface water tank with high quality mesh wire supported on six cm steel angles to ward off entry of animals and humans into the berkad and water tank area. This further ensured the safety of the water. Furthermore, Mercy Corps facilitated the formation of water management committees responsible for water management and maintenance of the berkads

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

Sanitation

Construction of Latrines During the program period, Mercy Corps and Juba Foundation constructed 269 single-stance temporary pit latrines in a total of 74 targeted IDP camps. Mercy Corps constructed 235 latrines in 30 IDP camps, namely Hassan Mumin and El-Bay 2 IDPs Camps in Baidoa district of Bay region; Doha, Tawakal, Daryeel, Gobweyn, Daru-Rahma IDPs Camps in Daynile district of Banadir region; Nasru-Diin, Manyo-Murug, Takuleyn and Naseeb IDP Camps in Kahda district of Banadir region;Lafole, Ba’ad, Indha-Badan, Owliyo, Yak-Shabeel, Satow, Feer-Sagaro, Yak-Halul, Banaan-Jiif, Hormoley and Juba IDPs Camp in Kismayu district of Lower Juba region; Har-Har, Hilal and Hiiran IDPs Camps; and Lanweyn and Kulmiye IDPs Camps in Galkayu and Adado districts of Mudug and Galgaduud regions respectively. Juba Foundation constructed 34 latrines in Wakalada, Tima-Adde and Tiimamka IDP Camps in Merka district of Lower Shabelle region.

The construction work for both Mercy Corps and Juba Foundation was done through CfW approach where 1,489 CfW beneficiaries participated for a period of two days for every single stance pit latrine. In addition, 8,725 households, consisting of 43,625 individuals benefited from this activity, on average each unit is designed to serve 20 people. The 8,725 households now have access to essential sanitation facilities, which helped to curb the spread of AWDs/cholera within the camps that were associated with the open defecation. The latrines also enhanced the protection for women and children who used to risk going to insecure areas in search of a private area in the bush for defecation.

Construction of latrines by Mercy Corps and Juba Foundation

However, the need for appropriate sanitation in IDP camps remains high due to the influx of new arrivals. Mercy Corps and its partners coordinated in the regional WASH cluster and mapped the areas with the neediest households while other cluster members addressed the identified gaps. The latrines were installed in strategic locations with the camps at an appropriate distance from ground water sources and safety for women and children and included accessibility for desludging by local agencies supported by actors such as UNICEF to enable continuous use of the latrines beyond the life of the project.

Mercy Corps also facilitated the formation of sanitation committees responsible for maintaining hygienic conditions and monitoring appropriate use and maintenance of the facilities. Furthermore, Mercy Corps facilitated the participation of community as they contributed in the provision of required locally available materials such as sand and gravel for construction of the latrine slab while MC assisted with transporting of sand and gravel collected by the community to the latrine sites. This improved ownership of the latrines, and also it raised the awareness on the importance of latrines.

Hygiene Promotion During SELIP II, Mercy Corps and its partners implemented hygiene promotion activities which complimented water and sanitation activities including ensuring proper use water and maintenance of provided the facilities. Through a series of 73 hygiene promotion forums, Mercy Corps and its local partners trained 1,460 including 820 female community volunteers on hygiene promotion methodologies, knowledge on risk behaviors and preventative measures. Accordingly, 311,870 people were reached with culturally appropriate hygiene promotion messages disseminated by the trained volunteers who attended hygiene promotion forums organized by Mercy Corps and its partners. Key hygiene messages covered a variety of topics, particularly hand-washing with soap, use and proper storage of safe drinking-water, and the safe disposal of feces. Given

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

that women are typically responsible for water and sanitation provision, health, child care, and hygiene education, Mercy Corps hygiene campaigns primarily focused on women and girls, while ensuring that men and boys were also included in activities to promote understanding and improved hygiene practices of all family members.

During Hygiene Promotion Forum @ Kalama-Harto IDP Camp – Daynile District, Banadir Region

The trained hygiene promotion volunteers used different modalities to reach to different categories of people in targeted communities including door-to-door visits where 8,173 house-to-house visits were done, group discussions within the formed 146 groups comprised of 10 members each, public campaigns and distribution of information, education and communication (IEC) materials such as leaflets, posters and books. These IEC materials were about general hygienic practices, lice prevention, diarrhea prevention, dental hygiene, scabies prevention, hand washing, safe water storage and handling, safe garbage disposal and feminine hygiene. In addition, they also embarked on activities with children and youth in coordination with school hours and functions. A total of 7,657 children were reached with appropriate hygiene promotion messages through plays, dramas and music. During the celebrations of the Global Handwashing Day, the Mercy Corps WASH team demonstrated good hand washing practice where school children got to learn how to wash their hands.

Hygiene promotion forums formed the pillar of our hygiene promotion strategy under SELIP II, the trained hygiene promotion volunteers were trusted members of and/or had an unusually close understanding of the community served. We considered this trusting relationship during the selection process, and it enabled the volunteers to serve as an effective liaison between Mercy Corps and the community to facilitate access to WASH services as well as improving the quality and cultural competence of our hygiene promotion strategy. The extension function of these volunteers managed to build individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy.

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

Monitoring activities were led by the program MEL team with the participation of program staff and other key actors involved in the implementation, such as representatives from local government agencies, WASH sector, UNICEF and line ministries. Accordingly, the MEL team tracked all program indicators through collection and analyzing of relevant data including data generated from weekly activity reports by program staff and field monitoring reports, monthly activity reports. Other sources of data used by the team to monitor the program include attendance reports, household visit reports, site visit reports, distribution reports and training reports. An analysis of this data informed the team on the quality of the project, the impact of each activity and it also identified the risks. The MEL Manager ensured the quality of data by checking on consistency and correctness of the data. A monthly staff feedback session was conducted to analyze monitoring results and prepare action plans. Moreover, monthly monitoring of project expenditures took place to ensure that project expenditures were in line with quarterly projections and progress of activity implementation.

The MEL team also coordinated quarterly review meetings to reflect on the achievement and challenges. During these review meeting lessons and success stories were identified and documented for learnings which were then shared widely with the project staff. The MEL team also ensures quality in the implementation of the project activity through periodic monitoring and on-the-spot validation of activities implemented.

The Mercy Corps MEL team were responsible for the direct oversight and monitoring of the sub-awards activities throughout the program implementation processes as per the approved program monitoring plan. This plan was shared with the sub-awardees whose MEL teams were then trained on its adoption during the program inception and launch. The sub-awardees shared monthly program reports for both programmatic and financial and MEL reviews and approval to gauge the project progress and achievements. Furthermore, Mercy Corps’ MEL team conducted both ad-hoc and quarterly field visits to the sub-award’s project activity sites and reported accordingly.

Further the MEL team ensured accountability was done to the project beneficiaries through Community Accountability Response Mechanism (CARMs) system that is now in place is an essential part of Mercy Corps’ commitment to excellence and integrity. The CARM system allowed for easier reporting of allegations of exploitation and abuse, suspected violations of policies, procedures and regulations throughout the program implementation. The communities were informed about the CARM system and freedom to report any misgivings during the community sensitizations/mobilizations, registrations and follow up meetings. The Village Select Committee (VSC) – which was integral in the implementation of the CARM – included of women and youth to ensure representation of these points of view and easy contact for any exploitation reporting. The common complaints that came through the accountability mechanisms included the inclusion and exclusion errors and appropriate actions were taken to address the errors based on beneficiaries’ selection with inputs from the community leaders. A common complaint received was along the lines of “I was identified during the mobilization, but my name did not appear in the final list of selected beneficiaries”. The program senior manager would then be informed to give feedback to the complainant. The CARM system enhanced community participation and ownership of the project activities attributing to general community acceptance and access.

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Challenges The security deterioration in the South/Central Zone of the country, such as increasing attacks from the insurgents, assassinations and inter-clan conflicts, has affected program implementation by limited access to by our staff to project locations, as well as disrupted functionality of markets which resulted in shortage of goods and services. These interruptions, due to conflict, delayed procurement. Additionally, due to insecurity, movement of goods from suppliers to construction sites was difficult. However, Mercy Corps managed to use its experience in working in Somalia to maneuver through this context and ensure timely implementation of the project. In the camp, various actors such as different camp managers and authorities have power but different agendas. Communicating and collaborating with those entities is a challenge and at times impossible without compromising the quality of our work or code of conduct. As a way to face this challenge, Mercy Corps arranged a training for enhancing communication and negotiation skills for related teams with an emphasis on transparency and honesty. The government in Somalia generally remains too weak to support specific activities or ensure the sustainability of interventions. In specific areas, some government structures departments do not exist which made it difficult to link our interventions to relevant government ministries. However, Mercy Corps managed to closely work with local authorities such as camp management committees, community elders to implement activities. In terms of quality certification, especially seeds and animals Mercy Corps used the services of reputable private actors.

Lessons Learned Regarding procurement, Mercy Corps learned that, in the context of our work, framework agreements are often the most effective type of procurement. Additionally, we learned that extending quotation validity and reducing the days required to cancel a contract allowed us to move on faster from non-complaint vendors. We improved our efficiency in cross-border work and established a quarterly updated market price index to establish price reasonableness more effectively. There is a need for communities acquiring early warning information well in advance on the effect of drought and floods on River Shabelle in Middle and Lower Shabelle regions. This would help many farmers to mitigate by protecting their assets like water pumps and identifying sites for river embankment construction at the probable river breakage sites. Moving forward, efforts should be made to raise community awareness on rainfall patterns, river breakage points, harvest and farm produce market prices. The use of already existing community structures and capacities facilitated smooth implementation of project work in the communities (e.g. the existing Village/Camp Relief Committees and the skilled laborers for undertaking various assignments). The Cash for Work (CfW) strategy has been considered the most effective program implementation strategy, and the communities felt an increase in their purchasing power and as well as a greater sense of by communities since they implemented the projects themselves. , Although the daily rate was lower than the real market rate, the communities accepted the strategy with full consent knowing the supported facilities will benefit the entire community. The Gu’ rains performance was very poor, particularly in the South-Central Zone of the country. Accordingly, emergency humanitarian responses should be enhanced. However, it is important to layer and sequence programs in order to build the resilience of affected communities. Layering and sequencing is effective and efficient. Mercy Corps is keen to further discuss resilience approaches in Somalia with OFDA. There was slow change in the adoption of alternative livelihood options by the pastoralist communities in the face of recurring drought. It is recommended that future interventions slowly introduce alternative sources of livelihoods such as small-scale farming and livestock business that are suitable to the various project regions.

Somalia Emergency and Livelihood Intervention Program II (SELIP) Final Report Date: October 31, 2018