Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) returnees are benefiting from a unique project being implemented by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) aiming to improve their food security through increased attention to the health of cattle. The majority of the beneficiaries recently returned to their homes in Huambo Province, Angola since peace came to the country approximately two years ago

The project is currently funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) through ADRA Switzerland.

“The residents in this region rely so heavily on livestock for the production of food that the loss of just one animal can start a family on a downward spiral into deeper poverty,” stated Miguel Cordeiro, country director for ADRA Angola. “That’s why one area ADRA is focusing on in this region is the health of these animals. By improving the animals’ health, they will be able to work better and increase the amount of food produced,” Cordeiro continued.

The three-year project, called Healthy Livestock for Enduring Food Security, is improving the health conditions of cattle through the use of a mobile veterinary clinic that visits 16 villages in the region each month. Professional veterinarians, or veterinarian technicians, diagnose, treat, and operate on sick animals, decreasing the number of animals that die from disease. The service is especially welcome by residents because the cost to purchase another animal is equivalent to three month’s salary.

A large, stationary animal health clinic is also near completion in Bongo and will serve the surrounding population for years to come. The animal health clinic will include a dairy farm to increase the production and accessibility of milk and other dairy products in the region. Each village is also being trained and equipped with basic resources to protect their livestock from parasites.

ADRA is present in more than 120 countries providing individual and community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age or ethnicity.

Additional information about ADRA Switzerland can be found at http://www.adra.ch and
about ADRA International at http://www.adra.org/