Young, J.

The United Mission to Nepal (UMN) Animal Health Improvement Project (AHIP) has been training Village Animal Health Workers (VAHW) in Pokhara, Nepal for the last decade. During this time approximately 350 VAHWs have been trained. This article outlines some of the techniques that were used to evaluate the subsequent progress of the trainees. General village-level information was gathered using various participatory methods, including mapping, wealth ranking, production information, labour diagrams, proportional piling and annual disease calendars, transect walks and progeny histories.

The Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) has used PRA methods in a number of livestock projects in Kenya. This paper describes some of them, which have included the collection of base-line information and design of village animal health care (VAHC) projects, exploring traditional veterinary knowledge and the use of traditional medicines, and monitoring and evaluating animal health and restocking projects. The methods used include mapping, wealth and other types of ranking, interviews and discussion, ethnoveterinary interviews, progeny histories, workshops and diagrams.

The article focuses on the collection and use of ethnoveterinary data in the context of community-based animal health care training programmes in Kenya. The programmes ranged from pastoral areas such as Samburu and Pokot to settled farming in Meru and Machakos and were carried out by the Kenya Livestock Programme (KLP) of the Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) in collaboration with various community-based NGOs. The lessons learned in the programme and directions for the future are also discussed.