Where we work

Countries in the Horn of Africa are some of the poorest on the continent. All of them have significant numbers of pastoralists, and it is among these people that PENHA works.

Pastoralists are historically nomadic people who move around with their livestock herds – including cattle, camel, goats, horse and sheep – to suitable pastures for grazing. There are over 25 million pastoralists in the Horn of Africa – varying from one-twentieth of the population in Uganda to over half in Somalia.

PENHA is a network – and its work covers all parts of the Horn of Africa where there are pastoralists and agro-pastoralists.

Eritrea has a population of about 5 million people. Approximately one third of the population are believed to be agro-pastoralists and pastoralists.

As in the rest of the Horn, pastoralism is one of the oldest forms of social and economic organisation in Ethiopia.

About 55% of the Somali population are believed to be nomadic pastoralists and another quarter to be agro-pastoralists.

Pastoralism and agro-pastoralism are the most important livelihood systems throughout rural South Sudan.

In the rural Sudan, more than 60% of people are agro-pastoralists.

Uganda has a population of over 36 million – about 23% are pastoralists, comprising around one million people.

PENHA has been working for over three decades with African pastoral communities. Young people from the UK (through volunteering and internships) have played an important role.