SALOHI Project

Before I blog more about my experiences here, I want to talk about the program I’m helping with…you know, like the entire reason I’m here in the first place?

In 2009, ADRA, in conjunction with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), CARE, and Land O’Lakes submitted a grant proposal to USAID and FFP (Food For Peace) to obtain funding for a project called “Strengthening Accessing and Livelihoods Opportunities for Household Impact (SALOHI). The NGO’s were awarded the grant and the program, worth approximate $79 million, began in December.

SALOHI is a 5-year program and the primary goal of ADRA’s component in this program is to increase food security in 250 communities of its six assigned districts that include Ambositra, Manandriana, Fandriana, Ifanadiana, Mananjary, and Nosy Varika. This will be obtained through three major objectives: improving health capacities in these communities, improving infrastructure, and helping rural communities proactively establish disaster preparedness and mitigation plans.

The third objective is the one I am primarily involved with as I have tailored my MPH to specialize in disaster preparedness and response. My master’s thesis is an evaluation of the disaster management portion of program (well, the evaluation I am able to do during my relatively short 3 months here). During my time here, I will be observing the evaluation portion of the program, help field agents collect data that enables them to build region-specific disaster preparedness and response plans, and help shape policy at the organization’s national level.