Presentation hold by Federico Fadiga from the Red Cross EU Office, as part of the second panel of the 30th edition of the Brussels Briefing on “Agricultural resilience in the face of crisis and shocks", organized by CTA in collaboration with the ACP Secretariat, the EC/DEVCO, Concord, and IFPRI on 4th March 2013. More on: http://brusselsbriefings.net/

1. Brussels Briefing n. 30
Agricultural Resilience in the Face of Crises and Shocks
4th March 2013
http://brusselsbriefings.net
Building community resilience:
Namibia Red Cross approaches and successes
Federico Fadiga, EU Red Cross

2. Building community resilience:
Namibia Red Cross approaches and successes
Federico Fadiga

3. Resilence is at the core of Red Cross Red Crescent
humanitarian aid and development work
Characteristics of a resilient community: Building resilience is part of a
multisectoral process
involving multiple actors
attempting to protect
development gains in the
longer term and to reduce the
dramatic decline in
development that disasters
and crises cause.
For the IFRC, this highlights
the overlapping nature of
preparedness, relief, and
recovery work and bridging
these to more developmental
work.
Source: IFRC “Road to Resilience”, 2012

4. Red Cross Red Crescent building Resilience
in Southern Africa
Chronic hunger in southern Africa is
forcing thousands of people into
negative coping mechanisms.
Assets are being sold, children are
being taken out of school and made to
work, sex is being traded for food.
Children are malnourished, some
acutely. Food prices are rising.
It is a silent disaster, fed by a recurrent
drought- flood cycle that is continuing
to worsen, affecting families and their
ability to lead a productive life.
Emergency food aid, on its own, is not
enough. Real and effective recovery
has to promote economic regeneration
over the long term.

5. NAMIBIA - Country Context
• Area: 825.418 km2
• Population: 2.100.000
• Farming main source of
livelihood
• Economic slow-down
(+ 50% Unemployment)
• 17,8% HIV prevalence
•High TBC rates
• 24% -5y.o. stunted and
underweight
• Vulnerability to
environmental shocks (droughts
/ local floods)

6. Namibia Red Cross Integrated Food Security Project
• Falls under the Diversified
Agriculture and Livelihood
Support Programme (DRR)
– started 2011
• Goal:
Increased and diversified
production through correct use
of soil and natural resources in
Khomas, Caprivi, Ohangwena
regions
• Cooperation with:
Government, Spanish Red
Cross, FAO, local communities &
business
• Beneficiaries:
Impoverished households and
PLHIV in informal settlements
• Focus on locally available
capacities and opportunities
• Community ownership and
local knowledge as KEY
elements for sustainability
(beneficiaries involved in ALL phases of
the programme)

7. Namibia Red Cross Integrated Food Security Project
• Organization of communities
into groups and committees.
Individuals share responsibilities
and duties
• Main activities:
backyard gardening, crop
planting, goat pass-on, fisheries
• Trainings on:
farming, hygiene, water use,
disease control, group
leadership, marketing…
•Namibia Red Cross provides
start-up packs and liaise with
local governments for training
and advice

8. Lessons Learned
• Projects built on local
capacities/knowledge/resources
have a higher success rates, are
more sustainable and cheaper
to manage
• Investments in agriculture and
food security projects should be
approached from a business
perspective
• Need to integrate community
needs into agriculture
investments
•People engage more in
projects when there is more
than just the “primary benefit”
•Added value of Red Cross
Volunteers at community level

9. Thank You
Links:
Namibia Red Cross
Red Cross / EU Office
IFRC

10. Thank You
Links:
Namibia Red Cross
Red Cross / EU Office
IFRC