- Aha Moment
How do Ethiopian drought-affected communities cope with the dry period, and the effect of these coping mechanisms on behavioral priorities?
Beatrice Gatumia, Murtaza Fazlehussein, Behailu Getachew
- August 29, 2025
- 7:57 am

SECTOR
PROJECT TYPE
Location
BEHAVIORAL THEME
OVERVIEW
In Oromia, Somali, and Afar regions, communities adopt proactive drought measures but face severe challenges including food insecurity, malnutrition, disrupted water access, and barriers to education, with persistent issues like child marriage and FGM (female genital mutilation). Post-drought, there is a pressing need for practical long- term solutions to improve water infrastructure, healthcare, and education, alongside continued efforts to address cultural practices and strengthen overall resilience.
THEMATIC AREAS
IDIs- 102 IDIs were conducted across 10 groups, including pregnant women, parents, health workers, caregivers, and social workers. This captured detailed, context-specific insights on sensitive issues—WASH, Nutrition, and Child Protection—by providing an in-depth understanding of behaviors, emotions, and attitudes in Ethiopian communities across Oromia, Afar, and Somali regions.
FGDs- 25 FGDs were held with groups including pregnant women, parents as well as adolescent girls, and boys. Gender-segregated groups encouraged open dialogue, particularly among women, helping surface diverse community-level perspectives on Nutrition, Child Protection Education and Health, alongside shared and divergent views on key issues