OTHER DONORS and PROJECTS
Support to Livestock Farmers in Ar-Raqqa Governorate
CIHEAM Bari since 2021 it has been implementing the programme “Support to Livestock Farmers in Ar-Raqqa Governorate” Phase I & II, dedicated to supporting Syrian livestock breeders in Northeast Syria, funded by Syria Recovery Trust Fund – SRTF. Investing in agriculture, a starting point to reduce dependence on humanitarian aid, is the aim of this programme, supporting Syrian farmers and restoring hope and confidence that working and investing in their farms and animals is worthwhile. By combining robust capacity building for local veterinarians and breeders with rehabilitation of veterinary infrastructures, CIHEAM Bari follows a holistic approach in revitalizing veterinary services in North East Syria.
Phase I
12 Months (2021-2022)
Budget: 1 M €
Phase II
16 Months (2023-2024)
Budget: 1.6 M €
ACHIEVEMENTS
8,000
Cumulative number of Beneficiaries were reached through the projects phase I & II
COST RECOVERY APPROACH FOR INPUT DISTRIBUTION
Supporting breeders with the necessary animal fodder and enhancing their access to quality medicines and vaccines is fundamental to enhance their livestock production, especially in a fragile context where affordable inputs are barely available. This innovative approach involves the distribution of inputs and services to breeders, who co-participate in input costs, paying 70% of the costs, the remaining 30% is granted by the project. The collected money is re-used to purchase other inputs, reaching more beneficiaries and boosting the local economy.
ACTIVATING VETERINARY SERVICES
The project has reactivated basic veterinary services in the Eastern parts of Raqqa Governorate, supplying the necessary vaccines, cold chain equipment and technical support for thousands of animal vaccinations. The programme offered capacity building activities for the veterinarians and breeders to enhance their capacities.
SETTING UP VETERINARY CLINICS & LABORATORIES
The project set up 3 Veterinary clinics with annexed laboratories for animal diagnosis as first of its kind in the intervention area. The clinics and laboratories are fully equipped with the latest available veterinary equipment and laboratory devices, such as professional microscopes, rapid tests for bacteriological diseases, surgery equipment, hoof trimming tools and many others that make it possible to perform bacteriological and parasitological analyses for the purpose of diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of animal diseases.
SETTING UP MOBILE VETERINARY CLINICS
Three Mobile clinics assist the breeders located in remote areas, ensuring the possibilities to access proper and professional veterinary care, contributing to safeguard the health and well-being of their most important assets, their animals. Local technicians built a tailor-made construction that provides a wide space for all veterinary instruments, enabling veterinarians to carry out a range of treatments directly on the farm. In this way, veterinarians can greatly accelerate the diagnosis of animal diseases and thus provide a quick and effective response.
INVESTING IN LOCAL CAPACITIES-KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER FROM EXPERTS TO VETERINARIANS AND TO BREEDERS
Building capacities of veterinary staff to enhance local capabilities in effective disease diagnosis and technical assistance for the operational management of the facilities was provided by international veterinary experts. Transferring knowledge on specific veterinary topics from International Experts to local technicians through RTA (remote technical assistance) and, then, from the local technicians to the rural communities addresses and tackles real problems on the ground. Remote technical assistance dealt with: diagnosis and control of main common livestock diseases, animal nutrition, laboratory diagnosis of livestock diseases, crops disease monitoring and smart agriculture.
SETTING UP A LOCAL AGRI-VETERINARIAN TECHNICIAN ASSOCIATION
Responsible to manage the vet clinics/ laboratories and the services ensuring their appropriate long-term use. Their mandate is to support the veterinary health sector in Raqqa Governorate, enhancing its role in providing health and veterinary services for livestock, and contributing to their development within the framework of applicable laws. It will engage in scientific research, educational initiatives, and the formulation of regulations to improve the standards of the veterinary profession.
VETERINARY TELEMEDICINE SERVICES
INTRODUCING INNOVATIVE TOOLS FOR TELEMEDICINE SERVICES for the local veterinarians, which will be provided by international experts and facilitated through a tailor-made mobile/web-based application, “VETSYRIA”. The local Veterinarians inside Syria will be in direct and continuous contact with dedicated international experts, exchanging medical information electronically to improve animal disease detection and diagnosis on professional level and improve, eventually, proper animal treatment. An innovative step for the veterinarians in the area who become part of this vet network and exchange of professional and technical information, in a fast and simple way, among them locally as well as with the experts outside Syria.
962,000 €
collected Cost Recovery funds from beneficiaries and reinvested to buy additional inputs
221,850
animal vaccinations administered
2,700
breeders have visited the 3 veterinary clinics
13,895
animals treated in 67 villages visited by the Mobile Clinics
70
RTA sessions with 227 participants trained/updated
23
veterinarians of eastern Raqqa united in one Agri-veterinarian Technician association
1
Veterinary telemedicine application developed for local veterinarians
Su.Li.N.E.S. Project
The project Su.Li.N.E.S. is implemented in North East Syria by CIHEAM Bari and funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The project aims to stabilize local agri-food systems and support the Agriculture and Livestock sector in North East Syria through strengthening the agriculture and livestock productions of local breeders, contributing to stabilize their household income and livelihood opportunities. The project addresses needs of livestock holders, local veterinarians and technicians, and women. Through its activities, the project aims at building resilience of rural communities in North East Syria by improving their food security and livelihood. Su.Li.N.E.S. intervention is manly focused on assisting livestock holders through the distribution of agriculture and livestock inputs, the activation of veterinary services in a fragile context, the improvement of rural women knowledge and their engagement in economic activities.
Phase I
12 Months (2022-2023)
Budget: 1.7 M €
COST RECOVERY APPROACH FOR INPUT DISTRIBUTION
Farmers and breeders have been supported with the necessary animal fodder and quality medicines and vaccines, which are pivotal to enhance their livestock and crop production, especially in a fragile context where inputs are barely available. Farmers were supported with fertilizers and with phytosanitary products, guided by the technical advices of the project technicians/agronomists. This innovative approach involves the distribution of inputs and services to beneficiaries, who co-participate in input costs, paying 70% of the costs; the project grants the remaining 30%. The collected money was used to purchase additional inputs, thus reaching more beneficiaries.
ACTIVATING VETERINARY SERVICES
The rehabilitation of the veterinary services followed the underlying approach of enhancing the capacities of the local actors, including local technicians and veterinarians, to reactivate and provide veterinary assistance services to breeders in rural communities, hence ensuring the long-term sustainability of these services. Veterinary services include the application of the Cost Recovery scheme, the provision of vaccination campaigns, the consolidation of the knowledge of the involved local technicians and veterinarians through capacity-building activities and technical assistance. The project elaborated a veterinary service plan with local Vets and organized vaccination campaigns, providing necessary cold chain equipment for storing medicines and vaccines, animal medicines and echography devices for animal pregnancy testing.
CAPACITY BUILDING FOR LOCAL TECHNICIANS AND VETERINARIANS
Remote Technical Assistance (RTA) courses were conducted by international experts on crops treatments and livestock diseases for project technicians and veterinarians. Once the courses were completed, project technicians and veterinarians visited villages and conducted seminars for farmers and breeders on the most relevant crops and livestock diseases, monitoring practices, diagnosis, and control. Capacity-building activities facilitate the dissemination of livestock culture, adapted to local conditions, in order to foster opportunities for economic stabilisation and to create proactive, dynamic and resilient communities.
IMPROVING RURAL WOMEN’S KNOWLEDGE ON INCOME GENERATION ACTIVITIES
The project organised a course on basic business principles and food processing techniques for women, giving them the opportunity to participate in vocational training aimed at providing them with the right tools and advice for managing their own business. For most of the women, this was the first time they had participated in a capacity-building activity and, as a result, the motivation and interaction of the women was remarkably high. The participation of the women was much higher than expected and initially envisaged by the project, the degree of satisfaction was such that the women themselves proposed that they could benefit again from similar courses which help to increase networking between groups of women and their economic independence.
4,303
beneficiaries received livestock inputs
93,047
animal vaccinations carried out
750
breeders were supported with Technical Assistance
1,014
farmers and breeders participated to field seminars
70
women have regularly participated in the RTA sessions and improved their knowledge on the startup/strengthening of income generation activities
