Needs

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Identification of needs

Situations necessitating the identification of needs for such a ministry

In 1978 (and again in 1985) the World Bank study declared Addis Ababa to be one of the poorest cities with 79 percent slum area, and 8 Kebeles were identified as the poorest of the poor. The ex-IHA-UDP operated fully in four of those (Kebeles 30, 41, 42 and 43 of Woreda 3) with 30,000 population (5,000 households - average 5.7 per household). It also operated partially in Kebeles 29 and 40 of Woreda 4 with 12,000 population. These last two received only health services. A total of 42,000 persons were covered by IHA-UDP.

It is noteworthy that following the World Bank study, the Municipality of Addis Ababa set-up the International Co-ordination Committee (ICC). Members were Children's Commission, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA), Christian Relief and Development Association (CRDA), UNICEF and Norwegian Save the Children (representing the NGOs).

In 1981 Redd Barna Ethiopia (Norwegian Save the Children) as a member of ICC, started the pilot project of community based integrated approach with 7 staff: 1 Manager, 1 CD Project Officer, 1 Health Project Officer (the presenter) and 1 Physical Up-grading Project Officer. In five and half years 3.5 million Birr (approximately $ 1.6 million) was spent.

The "Bottom-up" integrated approach was taken from CBIRD (Community Based Integrated Rural Development), the idea of which was popularized by Cornell University, USA. The absence of a blueprint to replicate the idea in an urban setting caused the team a great deal of difficulty as it was the first model of its kind in Addis Ababa. The staff who were given autonomous status undoubtedly learned by trial and error during the initial period of the programme implementation. The same weakness was seen in the badly managed phase-out strategy at the end of the 5th year (December 1986).

Despite all these difficulties, the Kebele 41 project got adequate recognition and was selected as one of the best 25 projects by Habitat International in 1987, during the "UN Year of Shelter for the Homeless (UNYSFTH)". This recognition resulted in the Kebele 41 project featuring in the book entitled "Building Community"[1] because of the endeavour to integrate housing with health and socio-economic programmes.

It was the interesting and challenging process of implementing this relatively new idea on the one hand, and the failure to leave a sustainable project when it phased-out, on the other that motivated the presenter of this thesis to carry out a Manchester University (UK) based research project using health issues as a point of entry. This resulted in a Master of Philosophy thesis funded by several European agencies and the University of Manchester itself. At the same time, during the UNYSFTH (1987), other universities and organizations that were interested in the integrated approach with housing as one of the components, requested lectures and talks to be given on the Kebele 41 experience. This raised a great interest amongst several British donors including ODA (the British government joint funding) to encourage the replication on the improved version of Kebele 41 experience. They also promised to fund it, hence the upscaled project of IHA-UDP which was established mid 1989, with work commencing January 1990.

For reasons stated above IHA-UDP began its work by correcting weaknesses and building on its past experience and strength. Some of these corrections include:

That the community would invite the Project to work together and that no NGO imposes itself on any slum communities. This started a culture of inclusion of the community in making decisions at every level right from the start.
Adequate pre-intervention introduction and orientation should be made to the following:

The community should be involved at all levels i.e., decision making and sustainability as owners of the Project.
The local authorities (from Kebele to the region at each level) should also be involved throughout the process.
Relevant government offices i.e., line Ministries at federal level should be involved.
The team/staff, both professionals and the programme staff.

The agreements to be made with regional office (at that time the Municipality of Addis Ababa) should focus on the importance of the following issues from the outset. These were sustainability, phase-out strategies, and a clearly established community governance structure, which will take over from the local NGO/IHA-UDP.
Not only integration but also holism was emphasized. Each community member should be seen as a 'whole' person (the M. Phil thesis elaborates on that) and the problems and poverty alleviation (which identified their felt needs) should be tackled radically thereby dealing with the root causes and not just the symptoms of their problems and all the poverty issues.
On-going 'conscientization' at every level should be carried out. Donors should also be conscientized and encouraged to see the importance of dealing with the beneficiaries' problem in its entirety and whenever possible to give 'block' grant as against group or gender biased involvement.

Next: Pre-intervention features

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Glossary:

AHISDO: Addis Hiwot [New Life] Integrated Sustainable Development Organization

CBISDO: Community-Based Integrated Sustainable Development Organisation

CD: Community Development

EEW: Educational Extension Worker

IGU: Income Generating Unit

IHA-UDP: Integrated Holistic Approach Urban Development Project

NHG: Neighbourhood Group

PUG: Physical Upgrading

PHC: Primary Health Care

Is anything missing? If you think it would be helpful to add other terms to this list, please simply email the web editor.

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