By Asma Abdullahi - Reporter
DJIBOUTI, (Dawan Africa) – Nearly 4,000 women in rural Djibouti are set to benefit from financial assistance and employment opportunities under the DRESS-EA project, which aims to strengthen vulnerable communities’ resilience to drought and climate change.
The government on Thursday awarded financial grants and legal documents to 26 local organisations, comprising seven agricultural cooperatives and 19 community-based groups. The support is also expected to directly benefit more than 1,250 households in the country’s southern regions.
A total of $330,000 has been allocated to the programme. Of this amount, $298,650 will finance income-generating activities, while $31,350 will cover administrative and programme-monitoring costs.
The handover ceremony was presided over by Djibouti’s Agriculture Minister of Agriculture, Radwan Abdillahi Bahdon. The Minister for Women, Hana Farah Assoweh, also attended the event.
The ministers said the initiative forms part of government efforts to strengthen women’s economic independence, improve food security and reduce the effects of recurring droughts on rural communities.
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Women benefiting from the project will receive support to establish small businesses and engage in economic activities such as agriculture, livestock rearing, handicrafts and water management.
The initiative is intended to help households diversify their sources of income instead of relying entirely on livestock production or rain-fed agriculture.
DRESS-EA, formally known as the Strengthening Drought Resilience for Smallholder Farmers and Pastoralists in the IGAD Region Project, is being implemented in Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda.
The project is financed by the Adaptation Fund and has a total regional budget of $13.08 million.
Launched in October 2020, the project focuses on developing early-warning systems, training institutions and communities, implementing climate-adaptation measures and improving the sharing of information related to drought risks.
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