Empowering Ethiopia’s Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Communities
Friendship Support Association (FSA) is a national civil society organization founded in 2007 to improve the lives of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities in Ethiopia.
Through partnerships and community-driven action, we work to create lasting change in health, education, water access, gender equality, livelihoods, and peacebuilding.
📍 Headquartered in Addis Ababa, with regional and field offices across the Afar Region, our team of dedicated staff—87% of whom serve directly in communities—ensures impact where it’s needed most.
Our Impact in Numbers
💧 18 solar-powered water systems providing safe water to 131,000+ people and 418,000+ livestock
👩🏾⚕️ 74,000+ people reached through essential health services
👩🏾 24,000+ women participating in Village Savings & Loan Associations (VSLAs)
🌾 380 hectares of rangeland rehabilitated for fodder and food security
🕊️ Inter-regional peace dialogues restoring cooperation and stability across borders
🍎 11,000+ households supported with emergency food, nutrition, and recovery programs
Together, We Build Resilient Futures
FSA envisions a future where pastoral and agro-pastoral communities are literate, healthy, peaceful, self-reliant, and productive—equipped to address their own economic, social, and environmental challenges.
We focus on four key areas for Afar pastoralists
Education
In partnership with the Ministry of Education we work to build schools, train teachers, sponsor children's education, and teach adult literacy.
Water
Nothing is more important to pastoralists than water. We work with the community to develop conflict sensitive water points that support livelihoods and families.
Health
Our health interventions focus on maternal and child health, with an emphasis on nutrition. Our goal is to reduce child mortality through improved health.
Livelihoods
At the center of the Afar life is the camel. We focus on livelihood interventions that build resiliency through diversification and asset strengthening.
