Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action

When drought stripped Kamila's family of everything, hope seemed impossible. But with the generous support of USAID - Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, Save the Children’s combination of critical aid that included cash transfer, therapeutic feeding and WASH transformed into resilience. A single cash transfer became a life-changing cow – now providing milk, income, and a pathway out of hunger - https://lnkd.in/d8XmPag7 USAID Save the Children International

📢 Announcement!! The 69th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (#GHACOF69) for the March to May (MAM) 2025 Season will be held from January 20-21, 2025, in #AddisAbaba, #Ethiopia 🇪🇹. Theme: "Climate Services for Closing the Early Warning Gap Together" More information ➡️ bit.ly/4i4zZMj

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 🌍 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 Earlier this year, we launched an exciting impact collaboration to create demand-responsive early warning systems tailored to the needs of communities in the Horn of Africa. Following a comprehensive evidence gathered through our extensive literature review, we have now commenced with the field research phase. This critical step engages communities in Kenya and Ethiopia to: ✅ Understand barriers to accessing and using early warning communication channels. ✅ Identify preferred communication methods. ✅ Explore ways to integrate traditional knowledge and practices into early warning systems for greater impact. Our research teams, led by iShamba Limited in Kenya and Maanshiil Consult in Ethiopia, are conducting focus group discussions and key informant interviews across diverse communities in: 📍 Garbatulla (Pastoral) and Tharaka South (Agro-Pastoral), Kenya. 📍 Danot (Pastoral) and Haroreys (Agro-Pastoral), Ethiopia. These communities were selected to capture diverse perspectives across varying agroecological zones, livelihoods, and accessibility challenges. Through co-design workshops, we aim to develop community-driven recommendations to improve communication between early warning providers and communities, enhancing their ability to take anticipatory action and withstand shocks. 📅 Mark your calendar: Our literature review publication is coming in December 2024, with individual country reports to follow in the new year. 👉 Register to get a copy of the reports here! https://lnkd.in/eB_BkAKW For more information drop us an email at info@omevaconsulting.com or contact the project manager, Aurelie Anisa Walker at aurelie.walker@urbanforesight.org Together, we can empower communities to build resilience and adapt to an uncertain future. 💡 Urban Foresight, FAO, iShamba Limited, Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action #CommunityEngagement #EarlyWarningSystems #HornOfAfrica #ClimateAdaptation #Kenya #Ethiopia #CollaborativeResearch #DataToAction #ResearchForImpact

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Community Jameel have launched a new strategic partnership to tackle pressing global challenges, including poverty, disease, hunger and the impacts of climate change. Launched by HE Dr Muhammad Al Jasser, IsDB group chairman, and Mohammed Jameel KBE, founder and chairman of Community Jameel, the partnership focuses on 2 billion people living in IsDB member countries. Through the partnership, IsDB aims to work with research centres supported by Community Jameel, including: - The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) to advance evidence-based policymaking to alleviate poverty, - The Jameel Institute at Imperial College London, harnessing data to strengthen public health system, - The MIT Jameel Clinic, deploying AI tools for healthcare, and - The Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action, using data to anticipate and adapt to climate change, particularly in the field of food security.

Apply for a PhD studentship in one of our two supervisor-led projects; part of the 2025 Doctoral Training Partnership at the University of Edinburgh. Working with Dr Alan Duncan or Dr Gary Watmough More details: https://lnkd.in/eta8_SSC Deadline: 5 January 2025 

Earlier this year, we brought together a group of people to advance collaborative co-development and delivery of capacity development opportunities for food security early warning/early action in East Africa’s drylands. The group drafted an 'Education Framework' - which we have now released. https://lnkd.in/ekaCDPNP

I School Ph.D. student Susana Constenla-Villoslada, Prof. Joshua Blumenstock, and collaborators at National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), Kenya, Cornell University, and UC Santa Barbara, have been awarded a grant by the Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action to implement a machine learning-based early warning system for malnutrition crises among children under five in Kenya. “Capacity building and technology transfer with research partners in developing economies is, in my view, something universities should do as much as possible,” said Constenla-Villoslada. More: https://lnkd.in/gJyJDjhh

Today, Drylands Learning & Capacity Building Initiative hosted a consultative meeting with CSOs and NGOs working in pastoralist areas (ASAL regions) to discuss advocacy opportunities at the upcoming Pastoralist Leadership Summit (#PLS2024Wajir) in Wajir. The meeting provided a platform for these organizations to share insights, align priorities, and strategize on how best to advocate for policies and solutions that address the unique challenges faced by pastoralist communities. Beyond the summit, participants also discussed strategies for ensuring that post-summit activities lead to sustained advocacy efforts and meaningful impact on the ground. The Christensen Fund FAO WWF-Kenya ASAL Humanitarian Network Community Land Action Now! Paraan Kenya Saferworld Jarso Mokku Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action PACIDA

Harvesting resilience – our impact collaboration aiming to create more demand-responsive early warning systems tailored to community needs has completed its evidence review phase and is now undertaking field research in Ethiopia and Kenya more info: https://lnkd.in/eQRpqKtH

Writing in the New Humanitarian, Rahma Hassan (Tufts University and Centre for Research and Development in the Drylands) and Samuel Derbyshire (Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action and International Livestock Research Institute) recognise that early warning systems and anticipatory action can save lives, especially of settled communities and farmers. However, they argue, pre-defined early action protocols and triggers are not necessarily well-matched to the needs of pastoralist communities whose lives and livelihoods are characterised by mobility. It's time for a rethink - to orient themselves around existing community strategies, to engage more seriously with local relationships, customary institutions, and practices, and to support those parts of existing systems that most require it. Read their opinion piece: https://lnkd.in/eRkxkZ6f International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Feinstein International Center at Tufts University Centre for Research and Development in Drylands (CRDD)