Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa (PENHA)

Name

Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa (PENHA)

Legal name

PENHA Network

Website

https://penhanetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (11521), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)

Keywords

• Pastoral development
• Humanitarian aid
• Climate adaptation
• Community development
• Conflict resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Institutional Donor Funding: PENHA operates as a registered charity funded primarily through institutional donor grants and development agency funding. Sources include DANIDA (Danish International Development Agency), the European Union, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency). Funding supports specific programs in climate change, gender equality, economic development, and dryland restoration across the Horn of Africa.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PENHA is a development NGO that delivers programs, research, training, and policy advocacy for pastoral and agro-pastoral communities across the Horn of Africa. Its offerings include thematic programs in climate change/environment, conflict prevention, gender equality, economic development and sustainable livelihoods, migration and youth, water/sanitation/hygiene, animal welfare, and humanitarian response, alongside training/consultancy services and a publications program (books, research papers, newsletters, SIHA journals). Revenue is derived from institutional donor grants (DANIDA, EU, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Sida) rather than commercial sales.

Product overview

PENHA is a development NGO offering a portfolio of programs and services focused on pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in the Horn of Africa. The organization provides publications (books, research papers, newsletters, SIHA journals), training and consultancy services, and operates thematic programs covering climate change and environment, conflict analysis and prevention, gender equality and women's empowerment, economic development and sustainable livelihoods, migration and youth development, and water, sanitation and hygiene. The organization combines grassroots project implementation with research and policy analysis, and does not operate as a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Climate Change and Environment Program Research and field initiatives that mitigate the effect of climate change on food security and livelihoods of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities, including dryland restoration and environmental management.
• Conflict Analysis and Prevention Services Collaborative training, research, and workshops that address resource-based inter-communal and cross-border conflict among pastoral communities.
• Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Program Program empowering women pastoralists through economic diversification, capacity building, and advocacy for women's participation in the economy and public life.
• Economic Development and Sustainable Livelihoods Program Workshops and field projects in animal husbandry and agriculture that help pastoralist communities build sustainable livelihoods, including inclusive frankincense value chain work across six Ethiopian regions.
• Migration, Youth and Development Program Engagement with youth in the Horn of Africa and the UK to enhance development outcomes and address migration-related challenges, including the Development Education and Youth Programme.
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Program Initiatives that ensure pastoralist communities have access to vital water resources and sanitation facilities.
• Animal Welfare and Development Program Program working for healthy and productive animals as part of pastoralist livelihood support, including work on Ankole cattle economic value in Uganda.
• Humanitarian Response Program Humanitarian response activities addressing crises affecting pastoral and agro-pastoral communities, including disaster response engagement.
• Training and Consultancy Services Training workshops and consultancy services on animal husbandry, agriculture, conflict resolution, gender empowerment, and sustainable livelihood building for pastoralist communities and partner institutions.
• Publications Program Production and dissemination of books, research papers, newsletters, and SIHA journals covering pastoral development, climate change, gender equality, and sustainable livelihoods in the Horn of Africa.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Ethiopian Drylands Restoration Strategy, coordinated by PENHA and endorsed in 2022, covers approximately 80 million hectares of Ethiopian drylands home to some 50 million people.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jigjiga University (JJU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2022PENHA signed an MoU with Jigjiga University in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia on 24 June 2022 for collaboration in research, capacity building, expertise exchange programme, and resource sharing. The signing occurred during an international conference on pastoral governance, drought resilience, and rangeland management. JJU has established the Institute of Pastoral and Agro-pastoral Development Studies (IPADS).
• Tropenbos International (TBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPENHA collaborates closely with Tropenbos International of the Netherlands as a member of the TBI network spanning 12+ countries in Africa, Latin America, and South-East Asia. Together they coordinate the Working Landscapes programme and co-produced the Ethiopia Dryland Restoration Strategy and the joint book 'Dryland restoration and dry forest management in Ethiopia'. TBI provides financial support through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
• International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPENHA partnered with IIED to launch the Food We Want project in the UK in 2012. IIED's head office in London hosted the launch event with PENHA. The Food We Want project was a European Union-funded initiative with partners from the UK, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya.
• CIFOR-ICRAFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIFOR-ICRAF (Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry Centre) contributed substantially to the development of the Ethiopian Drylands Restoration Strategy, coordinated by PENHA. Dr. Habtemariam Kassa (CIFOR) was among the key contributors acknowledged in the strategy document.
• Pastoralist Environment Association in Kassala State (PEAKS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEAKS and PENHA co-organised a regional conference in Kassala, Sudan on 4 January 2020 to enhance cross-border cohesion and reconciliation among pastoral communities along the borders of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and eastern Sudan. The conference was funded by Global Reconciliation's Desmond Tutu Fellowship.
• Seawater Greenhouse Ltd UKcoreTechnology or IntegrationSeawater Greenhouse Ltd UK is the key technical partner for PENHA's Seawater Greenhouse and Salt-Mine Project in Berbera, Somaliland. The technology involves greenhouses cooled and humidified by seawater to enable agriculture in arid coastal environments.
• Ethiopian Forestry DevelopmentcoreOthersPENHA worked closely with Ethiopian Forestry Development to produce the National Drylands Restoration Strategy, endorsed by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2023. The strategy was developed involving six regions with significant dryland areas.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Farm Africa: UK-registered charity working on agricultural livelihoods, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable land use across East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, DRC). Highly comparable to PENHA in target geography, donor base, and pastoral/smallholder livelihoods focus.
• Tropenbos International: Netherlands-based organization coordinating applied forestry and land-use research across 12+ tropical countries including Ethiopia. Already a strategic PENHA partner (co-produced Ethiopia Drylands Restoration Strategy), making it both peer and partner — directly comparable in mandate and geographic overlap.
• SOS Sahel International UK: UK-based NGO supporting sustainable development in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, particularly dryland management, natural resource governance, and livelihoods. Closely comparable to PENHA in dryland/rangeland focus and community-driven development approach.
• Vétérinaires Sans Frontières International: Federation of NGOs providing veterinary and animal health services to pastoralist and smallholder livestock-keeping communities across Africa and beyond. Closely comparable to PENHA's pastoral/animal husbandry work and its delivery through community-based programming in the Horn of Africa.
• Coalition of European Lobbies for Eastern African Pastoralism (CELEP): European advocacy coalition focused specifically on pastoralist policy in Eastern Africa — directly comparable to PENHA's policy advocacy niche and partner network, and likely an active collaborator.
• Trócaire: Irish development NGO with active programming in pastoralist/dryland East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia). Comparable in Catholic-rooted community-driven development model and East African pastoral focus.
• International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED): UK-based policy research organization working on sustainable development, drylands, and pastoralism. Direct peer on research-policy-program integration, and a current PENHA partner via the EU-funded Food We Want project.
• CIFOR-ICRAF (World Agroforestry): Global agricultural and forestry research organization with significant drylands/land restoration work in Ethiopia. Already a strategic PENHA partner in producing the Ethiopian Drylands Restoration Strategy; highly comparable research-and-policy mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Oxfam GB: Major UK-based humanitarian and development NGO operating across the Horn of Africa on livelihoods, gender, and WASH. Overlaps with PENHA in thematic areas and donor ecosystem but is far broader and larger in scale.
• SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: Larger Dutch development organization with significant operations in pastoralist/dryland East Africa. Comparable in donor base (Netherlands MFA) and East African footprint, though PENHA is more specialist in pastoralism.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pastoral-and-environmental-network-in-the-horn-of-africa-penha-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa (PENHA)