Mr. Abdirashid Sheik Ahmed was born in 1962 in Fikow, Dollo Addo Woreda, he never attended formal education except local Islamic school. He has been working as a trained Community Animal Health Worker for the past ten years. He has both the practical and textbook experience in this specific field. He has participated Community Animal health worker’s refresher training which we organized in Dolo Ado. He is a pillar in the community and a reference point when it comes to matters animal health and the economization of livestock in the area. Before BORESHA he was and to some extent still is the most experienced animal health expert in his local area and his used his knowledge and expertise to train young and upcoming youth for purposes of knowledge sharing and learning for the general benefit of his community.
Abdirashid is now operating a small veterinary drug shop at the outskirt of Fikow Kebele, Dollo Addo Woreda. The shop is well equipped and has the necessary medication for general animal treatment which are common in the area. He usually travels to nearby sub-villages and goes to the ground himself for purposes of treating animals. He is well known in the area sometimes people call his phone or visit his shop when they want him to give animal health service, we witnessed this with our own eyes since we were interrupted quite a lot while conducting an interview with him. For him this is more than a job he considers it a calling and has the passion to carry his duties effectively with a lot of dedication.
Considering he is working for his community he sees it as a service for his people that does not need any recognition, it fills him with joy and pride knowing that he is working for the betterment of his people.
“I am among the existing community animal health workers who are active in this Kebele, I spent most of my time selling animal treatment drugs to the other CAHWS in the area and visiting livestock herders to give service. I treat sick animals and receive small charges from the livestock owners, however, one of my main challenges is the lack of quality veterinary drugs and equipment’s’’ he said. BORESHA will support him with veterinary kits that can be able to facilitate his work as well as contribute towards the improvement of his economic wellbeing. ‘’With your support I hope to expand my business and improve my income while also delivering the service to the community.’’
It was 5 years ago when Abdirashid had trained as CAHWs because there was the lack of opportunity to refresh his knowledge since 2014. A lot has changed now, there are new diseeases, the known ones are also mutating and changing and considering he operates in a border town there is bound to be trans-boundary diesaes that require more attention and prevention. ‘’ The refresher training has been of great importance to me since I also met colleagues from different areas and shared our lessons, challenges and experiences. I am very happy we had a great time to discuss new approaches of giving awareness to the community, appropriate ways of reporting diseases, I believe that the training has helped me think more broadly and deliver the service more effective way’’ Abdirashid recalls again his thoughts from the training.
We were also told about the DRR committee in each Kebele which we can possibly collaborate to jointly raise awareness and report new diseases as they happen Mr. Abdirashid added. I am hopeful and very optimistic that the new skills, experiences and approaches I got from the training will positively encourage me as a practicing community animal health worker”