Projects and Goals

Water and Sanitation

Most of East African countries suffer from lack of available drinking water, and no form of sanitation due to the lack of local government. In many cases this problem has allowed dangers to remain. EARD would work with donors and humanitarian aid organizations for the repair and replacement of deep boreholes and shallow wells in conjunction with water management and community sanitation training. EARD will assign a team of local volunteers to identify and evaluate the area.

Emergency Relief Support

Many areas in East Africa are greatly affected by natural or man-made disasters. Often times, this causes civilian unrest and displaces many people far from their homes with no means of support. EARD will respond and collaborate with other humanitarian aid organizations in determining where such affected individuals are and work on delivering assistance to them.

Health Relief and Awareness Projects

The need exists to provide education and awareness of HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, and other health problems. Unfortunately pregnant women and newborns have no access to medical prenatal advice and delivery assistance. Another related need is medical supplies for clinics already in place. EARD would seek to assist implanting assistance in these areas, by working with the local village leaders.

Basic Education Improvements

EARD will want to establish or repair school buildings, provide desks, chairs, books, and equipment, and ordinary school supplies. Experienced teachers are available but resources for recruiting and training new teachers are exhausted.

Strengthening capacity for local governance

Activities would include training and assisting a local mechanism for dialogue and problem solving. EARD will assist in the involvement of civil society in the coordination of development initiatives undertaken by local communities.

Livestock-commerce

The main form of income in Somalia and other East African countries is livestock trade. That trade has been decimated by the outbreak of the Rift Valley fever virus and the rinderpest virus, which have resulted in subsequent bans by the trading partners. The regional farmers lack the knowledge and equipment to take necessary steps to regulate the trade in livestock so that they can again compete in that marketplace. EARD can endeavor to provide experts to inform and teach proper means of maintaining the health of livestock.

Fish and Lobster projects

East Africa have a long seacoast from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean which is the main source of income. A large population in coastal and island villages is dependent upon the fishing industry. At the present time, the United Nations Security Council has placed sanctions on buying from East Africa to prevent warlords from using the income to purchase arms. This policy is a tremendous hardship for village fishermen. A solution must be found to prevent mass migrations.

EARD will be actively seeking to cooperate and integrate with other agencies, such as the United Nations Developing Program, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as well as the World Health (WHO) and other agencies. EARD also plans to join the NGO Somali consortium to better link with various other NGOs actively working on assisting the Somali people. It is through the humanitarian efforts of organizations like these and EARD that human sufferings are lessened and produce well needed peace and stability.