How a youth-led agrovet in Dollow is strengthening cold-chain reliability and last-mile animal health services through CHAW networks
In Dollow, where temperatures routinely exceed shelf-life tolerances of most veterinary drugs, animal health outcomes are shaped as much by heat and power as by knowledge and skill. For Hanad Hussein, owner of Horn Agrovet Alliance Company, maintaining drug quality and shelf-life was once the single greatest risk to his business. Extreme operating conditions, at times exceeding 40°C, made safe storage difficult. Many veterinary drugs require strict cold-chain conditions, some below 2°C. In a town where electricity is both costly and unreliable, sustaining that cold chain came at a steep price.
At its peak, Hanad spent approximately USD 250 per month on electricity alone. For a youth entrepreneur, this was the most significant pressure on business viability. Electricity costs accounted for nearly 70 per cent of total operating expenses, leaving little space for reinvestment, expansion, or risk-taking. Each power cut risked spoiled stock and eroded trust among a fragmented buyer network that included livestock keepers who depended on quality drugs for effective treatment.
Photo 1: Hanad Hussein inside the Horn Agrovet Alliance Store in Dollow. Reliable cold-chain storage has reduced operational pressure and strengthened confidence in the quality of veterinary drugs.
These challenges were embedded within a wider market dynamic. Informal supply chains had expanded rapidly, and unregulated animal health service providers, often referred to locally as “quacks,” were widespread. The proliferation of substandard and uncertified drugs distorted the market and threatened pastoral livelihoods that depend heavily on healthy livestock. While agrovets and Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) operated side by side, their relationships were fragmented and largely unstructured. Everyone was active, including Hanad, but the system itself was not functioning in a coordinated or reliable way.
“At times, almost 70 per cent of my operating costs were going into electricity. If the power failed, the medicine failed, and that affected trust with livestock keepers.” – Hanad Hussein, Horn Agrovet Alliance, Dollow
Engaging the system, not replacing it
Rather than addressing high energy costs as a standalone enterprise challenge, BORESHA-NABAD, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Danish Refugee Council in Somalia, addressed the underlying risk and incentive dynamics shaping local animal health provision.
Through targeted facilitation, the programme supported Hanad’s agrovet store with a solar-powered cold-chain fridge and an 800-watt solar system. The change was immediate and structural. The solar system now covers around 75 per cent of electricity needs, reducing recurrent running costs by approximately 45 per cent, according to Hanad. Drugs remain within safe temperature ranges even during outages, protecting both stock value and treatment quality.
For Hanad, the shift was not only financial. Removing the constant pressure of electricity costs created space to think beyond short-term survival and towards strengthening relationships, reliability, and trust across the wider market.
Photo 2: Solar-powered cold-chain infrastructure supporting safe veterinary drug storage in extreme heat.
For Hanad, the shift was not only financial. Removing the constant pressure of electricity costs created space to think beyond short-term survival and towards strengthening relationships, reliability, and trust across the wider market.
“Once the solar system was in place, the pressure reduced immediately. I could focus on quality, planning, and relationships, not just surviving the next power cut.” — Hanad Hussein, youth agrovet entrepreneur, Dollow
Rebuilding last-mile delivery through CHAW networks
Cold-chain reliability alone would not have addressed the broader challenges of access, quality, and trust. A second pillar of change focused on strengthening the link between agrovets and CHAWs as part of restructuring the last-mile delivery system. In 2024, a co-creation meeting was convened to clarify roles, align incentives, and improve coordination between actors.
Today, Horn Agrovet Alliance is linked with 34 registered CHAWs who are regulated by the Ministry of Livestock Forestry and Range of Jubaland, alongside 17 mobile CHAWs who move with nomadic pastoralists into hard-to-reach grazing areas. These CHAWs source veterinary medicines directly from the agrovet through agreed supply arrangements designed to balance access to inputs with accountability.
Two business arrangements are commonly used. In the first, CHAWs take drugs based on demand or disease outbreaks, with some accessing supplies valued at up to USD 3,500. They typically pay around 30 per cent upfront and settle the remaining balance after service delivery and sales. In the second arrangement, CHAWs receive supplies on an agreed repayment schedule, with no down payment required. These agreements are documented and treated as binding. Together, these models improve access to working capital while reinforcing trust and discipline within the system.
“The CHAWs now come to the agrovet knowing what they need. The agreements are clear, the repayment is clear, and the work is more professional. Now I can plan. I know what to stock, where demand is coming from, and how the business can grow.” Hanad Hussein
What the numbers show
The economics illustrate why these linkages matter. A CHAW purchasing oxytetracycline at USD 1.2 per unit and selling it at USD 2.0 earns a margin of USD 0.8. Typically, approximately USD 0.2 is allocated to transport and handling, with the remainder used for household needs, savings, or restocking. A typical carton of 420 units costs USD 504 and generates reported profits of approximately USD 336.
A similar pattern applies to ivermectin. Purchased from the agrovet at around USD 0.7 and sold at USD 1.5, the margin again supports both service delivery and livelihoods. While individual margins may appear modest, repeated treatment cycles create predictable income streams. These incentives reward consistent service, encourage repeat engagement, and reduce reliance on informal substitutes that undermine quality and trust.
Quality, regulation, and trust
Beyond income, the strengthened linkage improves quality assurance. Registered CHAWs assess livestock owners’ needs, determine appropriate drugs and dosage schedules, and provide guidance on safe use. Treatment practices increasingly align with Ministry standards, reinforcing the role of trained providers and discouraging unregulated activity.
“Treatment should be done by trained and registered CHAWs. When the right people are using the right drugs, livestock owners see the difference.”
CHAWs also serve as primary disease reporters. Information on outbreaks and emerging trends flows back to the agrovet through regular interaction. For Hanad, this network informs stock planning and restocking decisions during periods of heightened demand for animal health products. At the system level, it strengthens early awareness and response capacity.
Material support reinforcing the system
Through the agrovet–CHAW linkage, BORESHA also enabled agrovet to support 34 registered CHAWs with a package of 15 practical items per CHAW. These included raincoats for fieldwork, 20-litre spray tanks, hoofers, surgical blades, automatic syringes, and other essential tools. This material support strengthened field readiness while reinforcing a more professional and accountable delivery model.
Looking ahead
Hanad is now exploring co-investment opportunities to expand agrovet services into hard-to-reach areas, including establishing satellite outlets. He is also interested in digitised systems for tracking stock, sales, and repayments to further strengthen transparency and planning. Continued training for agrovets and CHAWs remains a priority to reinforce compliance, coordination, and trust.
Hanad’s experience shows that resilience emerges when incentives align. Together, power solutions, regulated providers, and fair business arrangements have begun to restore confidence in Dollow’s animal health market. This is not a story of equipment delivered, but of a system strengthened so that private actors, public authorities, and community-based providers reinforce one another. In a livestock-dependent borderland economy, that alignment sustains both animals and livelihoods.