Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA)
P.O. Box 592, Code 1,110, Addis Ababa
Semara, Afar Region
Ethiopia
Contact person: Mrs. Valerie Browning
+251 91164-2575; +251 912840017; +251 912725218
afarpda@gmail.com
admin@apda-afar.org
https://apda-afar.org/
https://www.facebook.com/Afarpda
Topics
- Aid organization
- Educational policy/project
- Social policy/disabled persons
About us
The Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA) is an indigenous community-based NGO dedicated to serving the Afar people of Ethiopia—a resilient, nomadic population facing extreme drought, hunger, and displacement. Since 1994, APDA has worked from within the Afar Region to deliver emergency relief, primary healthcare, women’s empowerment, mobile education, and sustainable development. With decades of trust and deep local knowledge, APDA reaches remote areas where few others can—and does so with urgency, respect, and impact.
Our Mission
To empower Afar pastoralist communities by equipping them with the tools, knowledge, and voice to shape their own future and fulfill their human potential
Our Vision
A future where Afar pastoralists live with dignity, enjoying full access to basic human rights, essential services, and the opportunity to thrive—culturally, socially, and economically.
Focus areas:
• Health Care: Mobile Primary Health Services; Health Education, Awareness & WASH Promotion; Vaccination Services (Cold Chain & EPI Delivery); Maternal and Reproductive Health; Nutrition Services & Malnutrition Management; Emergency Response & Outbreak Control
• Women empowerment: APDA empowers Afar women and youth by dismantling harmful traditions, promoting education, and fostering economic participation—guided by clan leaders and rooted in cultural dialogue; Women Extension Workers: These are literate women selected from their own communities and trained in a wide range of skills including: Health Promotion: Teaching disease prevention, maternal health, and nutrition; Advocacy: Working against gender-based violence, early marriage, and FGM; Counseling and Support: Helping survivors of abuse and conflict recover and rebuild their lives; Economic Empowerment: Promoting women’s participation in income-generating activities.
• Livelihood and food security: Sustainable Livestock: Livestock remains the backbone of Afar livelihoods. APDA supports communities to protect, rebuild, and manage their herds in the face of mounting challenges; Community Cooperatives: To shift communities from survival to sustainability, APDA fosters cooperative economic models — empowering pastoralists, especially women, to engage in trade, saving, and small-scale business; Horticulture: Facing a collapse in milk and meat production, APDA helps communities grow their own food and diversify their diets for better nutrition and income; Nutrition with Livelihoods: By combining nutrition education, income generation, and access to diverse foods, the organization is directly combating child stunting and maternal anemia; Seeds, Soil, and Sustainability: APDA is building long-term resilience through environmental innovation and seed sovereignty; Hom Repair Assistance
• Education for Afar Pastoralists: Flexibility: Education adapts to pastoral mobility, seasons, and community routines; Hostel Living: Four hostels in towns support rural children, especially girls, to continue learning beyond ABE level 4.
Valerie Browning is the Program Coordinator of Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA).
For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.