Vétérinaires Sans Frontières

What Vétérinaires Sans Frontières does

Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Germany (VSF Germany), legally Tierärzte ohne Grenzen e.V., is a non-profit humanitarian and development organization founded in 1991 by students of the Veterinary School of Hannover and headquartered in Berlin. The organization operates across six East African countries — Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Uganda — coordinated through a Regional Office in Nairobi, delivering livestock health, food security, drought resilience, and One Health programs for pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities. Its programmatic portfolio includes Community Animal Health Worker (CAHW) training, livestock vaccination campaigns (PPR, Rift Valley Fever, rabies), disaster risk reduction, livestock value-chain strengthening, and donkey welfare initiatives.

VSF Germany's core technology assets include the Browse-aid dietary supplement, developed with VSF Suisse and FAO, which neutralizes tannins in shrubs and trees to enable livestock to consume underutilized vegetation during droughts (reducing feed costs by up to 60–90% depending on species), and an e-Voucher digital transfer system built with the Kenyan firm Myfugo for unconditional and conditional cash transfers to beneficiaries with fraud-prevention identity-code verification. The organization runs on a donor-funded model: in 2020, institutional grants from USAID/BHA, the EU, IFAD, BMZ, the German Federal Foreign Office, and the Sudan Humanitarian Fund totaled T€14,411 (€14.4M), with 96.8% of expenditure directed to project work and administrative costs under 3%. The 2020 program reach was 1.1 million people and 5.8 million animals. Following a 10.6% income decline that year, VSF Germany adopted a new African-German co-led Executive Board structure in December 2023 (Christian Griebenow as Managing Director in Berlin, Tinega Ong' Ondi as Regional Director in Nairobi) and entered a strategic partnership with MIAVIT in July 2024 to deepen its One Health animal-nutrition programming.

Name

Vétérinaires Sans Frontières

Legal name

Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Germany (Tierärzte ohne Grenzen e.V.)

Website

https://vsfg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Germany is a Berlin-based non-profit founded in 1991 that delivers One Health veterinary, livelihood, and food-security programs for pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities across six East African countries, funded primarily by institutional grants from USAID, the EU, and German government donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Animal Health and Livelihood Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Support Activities for Animal Production (1152)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Public Health & One Health Programs (HLAMAJAA), Vaccination, Parasite Control & Immunization Programs (AFACADAG), Biosecurity, Disease Control & Outbreak Response (Quarantine, Zoonoses) (AFACADAH), Routine On-Farm Veterinary Services (Exams, Treatment, Prescribing) (AFACADAB)

Keywords

• Humanitarian veterinary services
• Animal health interventions
• One Health programs
• Pastoral community support
• Livestock emergency response

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Grants: VSF Germany receives institutional funding from governments and multilateral organizations including USAID/BHA, EU, IFAD, BMZ, BMZ, German Federal Foreign Office, and Sudan Humanitarian Fund. In 2020, institutional grants totaled T€ 14,411.
2. Private Donations: Individual donations from private supporters. Private donations decreased by 8% in 2020. Income from inheritances increased by 52.2% compared to previous year.
3. Project Administration Fees: Administrative cost recovery from institutional donor-funded projects, included in institutional grant funding of T€ 14,411 in 2020.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Germany is a non-profit humanitarian and development organization that designs and implements veterinary, livelihood, food security, and One Health projects for pastoralist, agro-pastoralist, and vulnerable communities in East Africa. Its core offerings include livestock vaccination and disease control, training and deployment of Community Animal Health Workers, disaster risk reduction and emergency response, livestock value chain development, and the proprietary Browse-aid drought feed supplement. Projects are funded primarily through institutional grants from government and multilateral donors and delivered free of charge to beneficiaries.

Product overview

Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Germany operates as a humanitarian aid and development organization rather than a traditional product company. The organization offers a portfolio of integrated programs centered on the One Health approach, which recognizes the interconnection of animal health, human health, and environmental health. Core offerings include the e-Voucher Digital System (a technology-driven cash transfer platform developed with Myfugo), Browse-aid supplement for livestock drought resilience, livestock vaccination campaigns, Community Animal Health Worker (CAHW) training programs, livestock sector value chain strengthening, disaster risk reduction initiatives, and donkey welfare programs. The organization primarily focuses on East African pastoralist communities, implementing projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Uganda through partnerships with local communities, governments, and international organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• E-Voucher Digital Cash Transfer System A digital payment and voucher platform that delivers unconditional and conditional cash transfers, food assistance, and vendor payments to project beneficiaries in East Africa; built in partnership with Kenyan technology firm Myfugo with security features requiring beneficiary identity codes for redemption.
• Browse-aid Livestock Feed Supplement A drought-resilience supplement that neutralizes tannins in browse vegetation so livestock can consume underutilized shrubs and trees during feed scarcity, improving body weight, body condition scores, coat appearance, and survival.
• One Health Approach Programs Integrated community programs that link animal health, human health, and environmental health interventions to deliver sustainable development outcomes in East African pastoralist communities.
• Community Animal Health Worker (CAHW) Training Capacity-building programs that train community members to deliver basic veterinary services in rural areas facing a critical shortage of qualified veterinarians.
• Livestock Sector Value Chain Strengthening Interventions to improve dairy and meat value chains for agro-pastoralists, including development of milk and meat markets, slaughterhouse infrastructure, vendor training, and equipment support.
• Disaster Risk Reduction Programs Multi-component programs combining early warning, community disaster contingency planning, livelihood diversification, and emergency response to reduce vulnerability of livestock-dependent communities.
• Livestock Vaccination Campaigns Mass livestock vaccination campaigns targeting cattle, sheep, goats, and camels against priority livestock diseases including PPR and Rift Valley Fever.
• Rabies Prevention Programs Community-based rabies control combining dog vaccination, public awareness, and applied research on the role of dogs in rural livelihoods.
• Donkey Welfare Initiatives Programs in Somaliland providing donkey veterinary care, community education, and livelihood support to households that depend on working donkeys.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.1 million people and 5.8 million animals benefited from VSF Germany interventions in 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MIAVITcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2024VSF Germany and MIAVIT entered strategic partnership on July 16, 2024 to advance animal health and promote the One Health approach. MIAVIT provides expertise in livestock nutrition through high-quality premixes, feed additives and supplements. Under the motto 'prevention instead of medication', the collaboration aims to improve animal health to reduce follow-up treatments and antibiotic use with benefits for human health.
• Mercy Corps-KenyacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVSF Germany leads a consortium of six partners implementing the Omo Delta Project (EU-funded) covering Kenya and Ethiopia. Mercy Corps-Kenya is a key consortium partner in this cross-border project addressing root causes of irregular migration.
• Enjojo FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVSFG and Enjojo Foundation partnered to implement the FOPNAG project (Fostering Peace and Natural Resource Governance in NaturAfrica-supported landscapes in South Sudan). VSFG leads the consortium's Livelihoods Component while EF handles the Peacebuilding Component.
• VSF SuissecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVSF Germany partners with VSF Suisse on multiple projects including the DER-BOASS drought response in Ethiopia, CCLERP programs in South Sudan, and Browse-aid research. They also jointly recruit for positions like the Regional Communications Officer.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO coordinated the MasterCard Foundation funding for Browse-aid research. VSF Germany conducted the study in collaboration with FAO's office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as part of efforts to improve drought resilience in pastoralist communities.
• VSF InternationalcoreOthersVSF Germany is a member of Vétérinaires Sans Frontières International, an umbrella organization of NGOs working in animal welfare, veterinary disaster relief, and neglected tropical diseases.
• VENROminorOthersAssociation for Development Policy and Humanitarian Aid of German NGOs. VSF Germany is an active member committed to VENRO Code of Conduct on Transparency, Organizational Governance and Control.
• German Embassy South SudanminorOthersGerman Embassy in Juba represents German government interests and maintains relationships with humanitarian organizations like VSF Germany working in South Sudan.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mercy Corps: Large humanitarian NGO and active VSF Germany consortium partner on the EU-funded Omo Delta Project in Kenya/Ethiopia. Comparable in delivering multi-sector humanitarian programs including livelihoods, food security, and animal-related interventions in fragile East African contexts.
• Heifer International: Global nonprofit focused on livestock-centered poverty alleviation and smallholder farmer livelihoods. Comparable in delivering animal-health, livestock value-chain, and food-security programs in East Africa and similar geographies to VSF Germany's beneficiaries.
• Farm Africa: UK-registered NGO working with smallholder farmers and pastoralists in East Africa on livestock production, market access, and resilience. Directly comparable target population, geography (Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania), and livestock-livelihoods programmatic focus.
• Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Belgium: Sister VSF International member with parallel mission delivering veterinary aid and One Health programs to pastoralist communities in West and East Africa. Directly comparable operating model, donor mix, and beneficiary profile.
• Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse: Sister organization within the VSF International network. Jointly delivers veterinary, livestock, and One Health humanitarian projects in the Horn of Africa (e.g., DER-BOASS drought response in Ethiopia, CCLERP in South Sudan) and shares Browse-aid research. Directly comparable mission, beneficiary base, and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Oxfam: Major humanitarian NGO with extensive livestock, food security, and pastoralist livelihood programs in the Horn of Africa. Overlaps with VSF Germany in donor ecosystem, beneficiary segments, and consortium arrangements, but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Concern Worldwide: Larger humanitarian NGO with active livelihoods, food security, and resilience programs across the Horn of Africa including pastoralist communities. Overlaps with VSF Germany in donor base (USAID, EU, Irish Aid), beneficiary segments, and consortium partnership structures.
• Médecins du Monde: Co-organizer of VSF Germany's One Health Day events and natural One Health complement — provides the human-health side of the integrated animal-human-environment framework VSF Germany operates. Comparable in operating model (EU-headquartered NGO, donor-funded humanitarian projects) and East African footprint.
• SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: Large Dutch development organization with livestock value-chain, food security, and WASH programs across East Africa. Comparable in delivering market-systems and livestock-sector strengthening projects with similar bilateral donor funding streams.

Regional players

• Solidarités International: French humanitarian NGO with strong WASH and food-security programming in East and Horn of Africa. Comparable in delivering integrated humanitarian responses and competing for similar institutional donor funds, though with less direct focus on pastoralist livestock health.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ToGeV
• Facebookfacebook.com/ToGeV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vsfg
• Instagraminstagram.com/tieraerzteohnegrenzen/?hl=en

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Vétérinaires Sans Frontières