hirda strategic plan 2011-2015 - het anbi register · this strategic plan for the period 2011 –...

HIRDA Strategic Plan 2011-2015

Version 15 April 2010 2/45

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................3

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF HIRDA .................................................................................4

RATIONALE OF THE ORGANIZATION.........................................................................................6

VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT ........................................................................................................6

VALUES.................................................................................................................................................7

CONTEXT ANALYSIS .........................................................................................................................8

POVERTY...............................................................................................................................................8

POLITICAL SITUATION ...........................................................................................................................8

SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION ................................................................................................................9

STRATEGIC POSITIONING OF HIRDA................................................................................................... 10

APPROACH ......................................................................................................................................... 12

ASSUMPTIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 12

PROBLEM ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................... 15

INTERVENTİON STRATEGİES ................................................................................................................ 16

TARGET GROUPS.................................................................................................................................. 16

STRATEGIC PARTNERS ......................................................................................................................... 17

GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS ....................................................................................................................... 18

INTERVENTION AREAS .................................................................................................................. 19

EDUCATION ......................................................................................................................................... 19

GENDER AND IDENTITY RELATED ISSUES ............................................................................................ 20

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE.................................................................................................................. 21

Relief............................................................................................................................................... 21

Self-reliance of communities .......................................................................................................... 21

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS................................................................................................................ 21

DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT..................................................................................................................... 22

OUTCOMES AIMED PER INTERVENTION AREA..................................................................... 24

EDUCATION ......................................................................................................................................... 24

Formal ............................................................................................................................................ 24

Informal .......................................................................................................................................... 25

GENDER AND IDENTITY RELATED ISSUES ............................................................................................ 27

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE.................................................................................................................. 29

Relief............................................................................................................................................... 29

Self-reliance of communities .......................................................................................................... 29

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS................................................................................................................ 31

DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT..................................................................................................................... 32

Youth............................................................................................................................................... 33

RISK ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................. 34

PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS OF THE STRATEGY...................................................................................... 34

THE PRINCIPAL RISKS – DANGERS TO THE SUCCESS OF STRATEGY ...................................................... 36

MANAGEMENT OF THE PRINCIPAL RISKS ............................................................................................. 37

MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING (MEL)........................................................... 38

STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE STRATEGY .................................................. 38

MEL DURING STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION........................................................................................ 38

FUNDRAISING STRATEGY............................................................................................................. 40

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND NEEDS ......................................................................... 42

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART................................................................................................................... 43

ABBREVIATIONS & PLACENAMES ............................................................................................. 44



INTRODUCTION

HIRDA stands for Himilo Relief and Development Association. Himilo means ‘vision’ in Somali. HIRDA is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 in The Hague by the Somali Diaspora in the Netherlands. HIRDA works with others to find lasting solutions for poverty and suffering alleviation in Somalia and in particular South and Central Somalia. In addition HIRDA also acts as a bridge between local communities and international donor organizations. HIRDA also mobilizes Diaspora to engage in the development of their country of origin.

Since 1998 HIRDA has gone through a process of professionalization and became one of the leading migrant organizations working on development issues in the Netherlands. Considering the desire to further professionalize HIRDA, to obtain

structural funding from funding agencies, as well as from the constituency and to make the development work of HIRDA efficient and effective, it was considered appropriate to look back and reflect on what clear directions HIRDA should take

to remain a leading Diaspora relief organization and a reliable development partner. This was done in 2008 and resulted in a Strategic Plan for the period

2009 – 2013.

In the meanwhile ongoing professionalization of the organization, diversification of funding and better visibility of the organization through communication and development of a clear profile are partially realized.

In 2009, the opportunity to be part of an alliance lead by Oxfam Novib arose

which opened a door to structural funding of a part of our program in Somalia on education and women empowerment for a 5 year period. HIRDA embraced this opportunity, which meant that further elaboration on the future aims and an

accordingly growth of the organization had to be assessed to be able to participate in the alliance as an equal partner.

This strategic plan for the period 2011 – 2015 is an update on the previous one,

considering the mentioned changes in perspective. Like our previous strategic plan, it has been developed through a strategic orientation process in which the HIRDA board, staff and volunteers were intensively involved. This time also

Oxfam Novib professionals have contributed to it with their comments on the concept and their willingness to share their context analysis with us.

We are proud to present the results of our extensive deliberations translated into a strategy for the next 5 years.

We also want to seize this opportunity to thank every individual and organization

that inspired us in the process of maturation and development of this Strategy. HIRDA Board



HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF HIRDA

In 1996, a group of Somali Diaspora in the Netherlands came together to discuss the situation in their home country. They shared the wish to contribute to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Somalia. After several meetings they decided

to establish a foundation with the aim to deliver development and humanitarian aid to Somalia. HIRDA was formally established in 1998 in The Netherlands. The organization chooses as its main priority: basic education for children, both girls

and boys. Its first activity was to raise funds from the Somali community in the Netherlands to support primary schools in Baardheere (Gedo region) and later also in

Abudwaaq (Galgaduud region, Central Somalia). HIRDA has shown the Somali Diaspora and international donors that it is able to contribute to the development of the country, especially basic education, from abroad. Due to the success of the first projects the demand for HIRDA’s work increased. HIRDA started to obtain funds from donor organizations. From 2001 until 2005 HIRDA received subsidies from different donor

organizations on a project basis. In 2004 Oxfam Novib offered HIRDA the opportunity to get more structural funding. HIRDA’s three year plan 2005-2007 was approved by the Linkis program of Oxfam Novib. Meanwhile HIRDA also succeeded in getting project funding from other donors and organized activities in

the Netherlands which met two aims: Firstly, to raise awareness of the development situation in Somalia and secondly, to contribute to the integration of Somali youth in The Netherlands.

The number of projects executed in Somalia increased substantially and diversified. Besides education also projects on health, small scale food production, micro credit loans, quality and accessibility of water, empowerment of

women, amongst others, were developed. The organizational capacity of HIRDA Somalia adapted to this situation. HIRDA Somalia was able to run the projects and at the same time succeeded in getting additional funding from organizations like UNICEF, WFB and WHO. To realize additional capacity for fundraising among

Somali Diaspora, HIRDA North America and HIRDA UK were created. At the end of 2008 HIRDA was a development organization with branches in

Somalia, The Netherlands, UK and North America. HIRDA is now receiving structural funding from OXFAM Novib for the implementation of its second three year plan 2008-2010. Also due to this funding HIRDA has achieved a great deal. It runs several successful projects in Somalia and the Netherlands. Although Somalia suffered under a severe civil war, HIRDA was able to open 5 schools, support 31 schools in various ways and provide basic education to about 20.000 children and adults. In the 5 schools that HIRDA opened, a quorum of 50% girls

and 50% boys was reached. Besides this, HIRDA provided relief services for about 50.000 IDP and succeeded in executing projects for women empowerment

(3 WECs) reaching about 5.000 women per year, basic mother and child health (2 MCH centers), food production and access to clean water.

In the Netherlands HIRDA has played a significant role in the migration and development debate, co-organized international conferences and become a role

model of Diaspora development organizations in the Netherlands. A number of Diaspora network organizations have been established over the past years.

HIRDA took part in the initiative to create an umbrella organization called



Diaspora Forum for Development (DFD) which is a network for different migrant organizations from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

HIRDA took the initiative of creating ADFD (African Diaspora Fund for Development) whose objectives are building bridges between regions and exchanging information. HIRDA catalyzed the formation of different Somali networks and NGOs and succeeded in changing the destructive attitude and division between Somali communities in and outside Somalia. SOMNGO, an umbrella organization of several Diaspora organizations of Somali origin, was formed and recently launched. The aim is to strengthen Diaspora networks and to strengthen civil

society in Somalia. HIRDA was one of the leading organizations behind the idea of SOMNGO. The main roles of these network organizations are to encourage international governments and NGOs to provide relief and development services

in East Africa, and to advise how the region could best be developed. HIRDA will continue to participate and coordinate the networks and carry out part of its advocacy function through them.

HIRDA values its work as a migrant development organization highly because it envisions that the human capital involved have the natural gift of being international citizens. They know, feel and follow the situation in their country of

origin as well as the opinion of the outside world on the issues more closely. They have the advantage of interacting and relating at a more intensive level with their target groups as being one of them, thus creating ownership easier and faster.

Until recently HIRDA could be seen as a pioneer organization developing its strategy when necessary and adapting its policy when practice required this. In this way HIRDA could respond to the insecure situation in Somalia. The capacities and the professionalism of the organization increased without increasing the human resource capital. The organization has now two part-time paid employees, the director and the program officer, and volunteers. All volunteers are highly educated, mostly from Somali origin, but some are also from other ethnic origins

or Dutch. As the budget and the number of projects are growing it is now time for a more mature organization with more professional staff to ensure sustainability and flexibility.

Over the past ten years, HIRDA has grown to a professional organization with ample experience in providing relief and development services in difficult and

unsafe areas. HIRDA’s ambition for the coming five years is to use this experience to expand its activities beyond the Somalia borders because large numbers of Somalia ethnic groups are living in neighboring countries such as Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia. These communities face similar problems as those faced in Somalia,

such as high illiteracy rates, low enrolment of girls in primary education, the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) and the disadvantaged position of women. HIRDA wishes to contribute to the development of these communities as well by making some of the resources accessible to the Somali community in the neighboring countries. This way, experiences obtained in Somalia can be used and good practices replicated. Another reason for expanding is the link with

Diaspora and their emerging partnerships in local businesses in the bordering countries. HIRDA wants to explore the possibility to channel these investments

towards sustainable development.

HIRDA is in the eve of successfully finishing the second three-year program and is now ready to enter the next stage to become a full partner with development

institutions and international development organizations which requires adjustments in its organizational structure and an increase and continuity of human resources. The last chapter of this strategic plan includes our vision on the organizational structure of HIRDA in the near future.



RATIONALE OF THE ORGANIZATION

Vision and Mission Statement

HIRDA envisions that:

Across the Horn of Africa, there’s political stability and peace. Communities live in harmony and benefit from appropriate health care, education, food and water

security. Boys and girls have equal access to good quality basic education and parents are involved in their children’s education. Women have equal opportunities, participate in political decision making processes and have the chance to earn their own livings. Female genital mutilation is eradicated and

women are informed about the harm of FGM. They have the information and resources to make informed decisions regarding their financial independency, safety, health, and other social needs. The young generation is positive and

idealistic and they are free to think and speak out. Civil society organizations in the region contribute to the development of communities. They are mature and autonomous organizations that collaborate and support each other where necessary. CSOs are taken seriously by decision makers and not oppressed by political influential groups. The development in the Horn of Africa is stimulated by long term and successful partnerships between Northern and Southern NGOs and Diaspora organizations.

The mission of HIRDA is to make its contribution by: Improving the well-being of the people of Somalia and Somali ethnic groups living in the East African region through:

• The creation of equal educational opportunities for boys and girls;

• The promotion of gender equity and women empowerment;

• Providing relief services for refugees and people in disaster areas;

• Increasing the engagement of Diaspora for the development of the region.

HIRDA’s primary aim is to enable and stimulate children to attend school. HIRDA encourages the enrolment of girls and the involvement of parents in their children’s education. They wish to create a more child friendly learning environment by constructing and rehabilitating primary schools; providing teacher training and school materials and by sponsoring orphans and IDP. HIRDA promotes civic and social education in primary schools to facilitate children to

become self-reliant adults. They stimulate the enrollment in higher education through the provision of scholarships. HIRDA supports the women’s social and economical position through micro-credits and training to help them become

financially independent and more responsive to their health and livelihood needs, and that of their family. HIRDA strives to eradicate FGM practices and helps to improve primary health care, especially with regards to vaccination, HIV awareness and mother and child care. HIRDA provides relief services to refugees

and people in disaster areas through the distribution of basic needs, such as food, water, shelters and medicine. HIRDA wishes to raise the interest of migrants and Diaspora organizations, governments and nongovernmental organizations to increase their engagement and sense of urgency for the well-

being of the people of Somalia and Somalia Ethnic groups living in the East African region. HIRDA works at the recognition of Diaspora organizations as an actor in migration and development issues.



Values

HIRDA shares involvement, money, know-how and experience to bring development to the Somali society. HIRDA also shares its capacities, knowledge and experience with other Dutch migrant organizations for the development of a

strong Diaspora network in the Netherlands. HIRDA’s work is based upon the following core values: Commitment towards the people in Somalia and the region, motivation to make things work, tolerance to different opinions & beliefs, a gender-balanced society, transparency & accountability and professionalism. HIRDA is politically neutral and does not discriminate. Its values are reflected by and carried out by its strategy, staff and management style.

HIRDA believes that these values can make an important contribution to the success of its current and future programs. And where possible, we aim to advocate and transfer these values to our partners and beneficiaries.



CONTEXT ANALYSIS1

Poverty

Somalia has experienced decades of conflict and persistent high levels of poverty. Some 43% of Somalis live on less than us$ 1 per day and 73% live on less than us$2 per day. Somalia was ranked 161 out of 163 countries on the 2001 UN

human development report. Only 22% of primary school age children are in school and 22% of children die in the first five years of their life. Following civil war and the final downfall of the central government in 1991, much of the public infrastructure were destroyed in the early 1990s, social services collapsed, livelihoods were disrupted and large numbers of people were displaced. Despite this Somali resilience has led to civil society, NGOs, religious groups and the private sector doing an impressive job in maintaining some services such as

education, and health and water. Though these services fall well short of what is needed and many are focused on urban areas and hence don’t reach the rural poor, the situation would have been even worse without them. Moreover, Somali

ingenuity, together with the remittances has been instrumental in creating new private sector initiatives in this uncertain situation, preventing even deeper poverty. Nevertheless women’s representation and participation in governance at all levels is low. Lack of sports and recreation facilities, family breakdown, qat,

human trafficking, street children, child labor and child soldiers further compound the low levels of social development in Somalia. Somalia is currently facing a humanitarian crisis of massive proportions. The

security and human rights situation in the country has deteriorated continuously since December 2006 when Ethiopian forces, with US backing, invaded Somalia to oust the Union of Islamic Courts from power and provided military support to the

Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG). Early 2010, 3.6 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance across Somalia, and 1.5 million people are displaced. Somalia has the highest levels of malnutrition with 1 in 5 children needing emergency nutritional care in the south and central regions of Somalia.

Political situation

Despite Somalis being ethnically and linguistically homogenous, Somalia is not monolithic in its social, political, and economic make-up. Somaliland, Puntland, and South-Central Somalia form three regions with different contexts, needs, and potentialities. The break-away northwestern Republic of Somaliland continues to be the most stable in terms of security and accessibility despite recent political tensions over elections. Somalilanders set themselves apart from the rest of Somalia and are proud of their achievements in resolving conflicts and forming an

administration blended from modern and traditional institutions of governance. Significant is their legacy of rebuilding a war-shattered region with almost no international aid and the vibrancy of their local economies through local and

Diaspora investments. The semi-autonomous northeastern region of Puntland represents another region consisting of a hybrid arrangement of a political administration whose legitimacy

is based upon the support of the major clans of the area. The rudiments of security and self-administration are in place, but they are weak. Criminality, especially in the form of pirate activities and kidnapping, has given the region a special notoriety with the international community. Politically, Puntland supports

1 Oxfam Novib Country Strategy Somalia, 2011-2015 was used to produce this chapter.



TFG, but there are security tensions on the southern border between Puntland and the central regions and on the border with Somaliland as both claim the

regions of Sanaag and Sool. The troubled South-Central Somalia is where the greatest instability and humanitarian needs exist. Conflict has escalated within the last several years between insurgent groups and the weak TFG with the involvement of regional and international actors acting largely upon their own security concerns. The jihadist groups of Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam are fighting the TFG, while the moderate Sufi group Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a is backing the TFG. Presently, a military and

political stalemate is the defining feature of this conflict. As long as the international community continues to support the TFG, e.g. through African ‘peacekeepers’ (AMISOM), this situation is expected to linger on. Somalia, which

has always been afflicted with local conflicts between competing clan groups over resources is now saddled with a conflict that has taken on an international dimension beyond the ability of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms to address.

Regional relations within the Horn of Africa are interplaying strongly in Somalia. Unresolved conflicts (such as that between Eritrea and Ethiopia), ethnic bonds (ethnic Somalis are also living in Ethiopia and Kenya), blockades of livestock shipments, disruptions to transport commercial routes, the ebb and flow of human migration, and last but not least Islamism and the fear of internationalized terrorism spilling over from the Arabian peninsula, all have consequences across

the region.

Socio-economic situation

Somalia’s economy is traditionally based on pastoralism and arable farming in riverine areas, and fishing in coastal communities. Trade and telecommunications

have of late become more thriving sectors. The ever worsening cycle of drought and flooding, aggravated by climate change, has dramatic consequences for the livelihoods of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities. Food insecurity is a constant theme across afflicted communities and those without external support from such sources as the Diaspora are especially affected. Vulnerable women, children, and elderly are especially hard hit. Apart from pastoralism and farming, additional livelihood groups depend on trading, transport, money transfer,

charcoal and qat selling. The ports of Berbera and Boosaaso see the export still of livestock, and there is trade across the Gulf of Aden coming from the Middle East. There is cross-border trade with Kenya and Ethiopia, although the livestock market has been affected by the closure of the Kenyan border. Significant

volumes of remittances are transferred to Somalia each year, from the many Somalis living abroad. Other forms of trans-national commercial activities also have an impact on the

region and Somalia. For example, oil exploration and granting of concessions has the potential to create conflict between political administrations and local communities which seek to benefit from these arrangements. Despite an arms embargo, arms’ trafficking is a high profit commercial activity. In a situation of conflict, disturbed markets, and intricate links between politicians, militia and the business community, economic actors thriving on perpetuating the war, one can speak of a ‘war economy’. Illegal activities which bring income include piracy,

money printing, human trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, aid taxes (corruption), and aid diversion. While conflict has always been an endemic feature of pastoralist practices, especially over scarce resources, it can be fueled by the

intervention of outside actors and forces.



As explained above, the majority of the Somalis are deprived of access to water, basic health and education services. Since the breakup of the country in 1991,

formal public education has virtually disappeared, but many communities, with the aid of Diaspora groups and NGOs, re-established schools, which resulted in a myriad of schools with different education systems and curricula (incl. Koranic schools, hybrid schools, formal and informal schools with Somali, English and Arabic curricula), of varying quality and nature. In Somaliland, the government brought schools together under a public education system, but in the other areas the situation is still highly diversified, though some attempts at unification have been made. The loss of a generation of un- or poorly educated people has

resulted in a fractured economy. Nowadays you can easily find an uneducated Somali who has millions of dollars while the educated live in shacks. Young people see that it is easier and more profitable to take up guns than to continue

education. However, there are still communal values and security feelings that can be tapped to give youth another, more constructive perspective in life. Not surprisingly, women and children are especially hard-hit in the cultural and

conflict context of Somalia. More than 90% of girls and women are circumcised (FGM), many of them in severe forms causing all kinds of health problems and social trouble. Early marriage is widespread, and sexual and gender-based violence is increasingly seen in situations of war and amongst IDP.

Strategic positioning of HIRDA

Power in Somalia is traditionally vested in clan leadership. Religious leaders also have quite some power. Modern state structures in South-Central Somalia, Somaliland and Puntland are the ‘formal’ power holders. The business community is very strong, though not always clearly visible. In addition, self-proclaimed leaders and criminal/political/ideological groups have formed their own militia. Civil society has found its way within these complex structures, and only operates

successfully if it maintains some relationships with all these actors. Partially, civil society could flourish in the absence of strong state structures. In some cases, they have taken over responsibilities that are normally vested within a state. In the last decade, Somali civil society has become recognized as an important

stakeholder in political processes. HIRDA has been working in Somalia since 1998, providing aid, rehabilitation and

construction schools, Health clinics and capacity building assistance. Despite the operational challenges HIRDA remains to responsibly implement its activities and programs. Being able to operate in volatile environment is largely based on the perception of the local communities.

HIRDA is dedicated to operate neutrally and impartially without siding with any party. The need for a well coordination, sustainable, multifaceted and

comprehensive approach in response to protract the complex conflicts of Somalia. Our strategy is mainly based on the following:

• Community-based approach- Building and developing reliable and realistic

relationships with all parties in the intervention areas. • Community involvement and engagement –involving the local

communities, religious leaders in the design and implementation of the projects and gaining confidence and trust from the local population.

• Working with proven and trusted local groups in the area. • Frequent discussions regarding community needs. • Ensure that our activities do not fuel religious groups’ competition and

division. • Women empowerment and youth integration.



• Pragmatic approach strengthens the delivery of essential basic needs. • Constant consultation with the communities and stakeholders to any

events which may affect the ongoing activities of HIRDA

Important international actors in the Somali context are the UN (actively engaged in political processes and providing aid), the USA, EU/EC and various donor countries. They are largely supporting the UN and the TFG in its security sector. Amongst various NGOs, Oxfam is warning that large and sudden infusions of

money and arms can fuel conflict, and advocates for prioritizing the protection of civilians. HIRDA recognizes this problem and will take it into consideration when developing programs in regions where this problem is playing a big role.



APPROACH

Assumptions

HIRDA believes that the most important carrier to bring about change in the Somali situation is the engagement of the Somali people from within. The focus should be on community driven initiatives which in our opinion is the most effective way to create ownership and trust to address issues that have an enormous impact on people at individual level. After the collapse of Somali government, all social infrastructures were either

destroyed or occupied by IDP. The ministries ceased to function and as a matter of course all institutional organs collapsed. One of the effects, especially for educational institutions, was that all school buildings were occupied by IDP and

other groups who settled these institutions by force. The international organizations especially the UN couldn’t replace the government services. To revive the education, schools were needed. Diaspora organizations

and local NGOs stepped in to fill the gap. The financial capacities of these organizations were limited and filled a portion of social services like basic education and basic healthcare. However, different Diaspora organizations and NGOs running social services like education have no unified curriculum because they are funded by different sources with different ideological backgrounds. Curricula imported from Kenya, Saudi Arabia and other neighboring countries have replaced the more efficient curriculum that was compatible with the Somali

environment and its culture. The Somali curriculum was based on purely academic orientation and had no religious affiliation compared to the curricula used in part of Somalia nowadays.

The scholarship chances of Somali students to study abroad, especially in the West, were also diminished as there is no government to deal with, in Somalia. The students who finish high schools now seek higher education in countries in

the Arabian Peninsula like Yemen and Saudi Arabia while some others seek to get higher education in Sudan. HIRDA believes that restoring peace in Somalia will greatly depend on the

education opportunity for the young generation and this requires rebuilding educational facilities that provide quality education which in turn give the young generation perspective and job opportunities. Educating youngsters will open a

gateway of opportunities for them thus reducing their vulnerability to surrender to recruitment by for example the militia or the fundamentalists. The threat of the warring factions to allure youngsters through false promises and distorted ideological orientation will remain but will be less likely to succeed if

their ideas are questioned and challenged by well educated young people. Rehabilitating youngsters through tailored education programs will not be possible unless donor institutions especially those from the West step in and revive educational facilities and support teachers-training to improve the quality of existing and future educational institutions. Therefore, HIRDA will continue teacher training to improve the quality of

education and face the challenges posed by opposing factions in Somalia to maintain and improve its current education program. It is HIRDA’s policy to train the Community Education Committees and empower the wider community to claim the ownership and responsibility of running the schools as well as to

support education networks of for example CEC. HIRDA will then be able to assist communities improve education facilities and upgrade teachers’ knowledge.



Along with youngsters, the Somali female society is the most vulnerable group of

all and bears the biggest burden of the injustice caused by the civil war. However, women are the most active within the community and without them, the Somali society wouldn’t have survived through the years of conflict. They are the bread winners of the family by conducting petty business to feed the family. Despite this they didn’t get any attention and support either from wider Somali community or from international donor organizations. They score the highest illiteracy rate among Somali community. Somali basic healthcare is the poorest in the world ranking and women are most effected because for example pregnant

women don’t get basic medical attention and delivery related deaths are common if not the highest in the Africa. Early marriage, helping their mothers in earning a living or in household tasks and taking care of the younger children in the family

are also obstacles for girls not to complete their study if they had that chance in the first place. HIRDA initiated micro credit facilities for women who run small business for two

main reasons: 1. To revive their small businesses to ensure livelihoods and empowerment 2. As an incentive to send their girls to school

With this strategy, amongst other measures, HIRDA has succeeded to increase the enrollment of more girls in its partner schools substantially. As Kofi Annan once said: “There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. When women thrive, all of society benefits, and

succeeding generations are given a better start in life." HIRDA also established women empowerment centers in South Central Somalia to improve the capacity of (groups of) women and awareness-raising programs regarding women’s rights and reduce illiteracy level of women (women

organizations and other women advocacy groups). The centers also facilitate awareness-raising activities for women about equal treatment of girls and boys especially on educational matters and about the negative consequences of FGM.

By training women circumcisers as traditional birth attendants and offering alternative jobs, provided that they stop circumcising girls HIRDA contributes to the decrease of this practice. This program (transforming circumcisers to TBA) is successful above expectation.

HIRDA will continue the development of activities relating to women’s rights and build up the current momentum. However, HIRDA is operating in areas under the

control of Islamist groups and faces a formidable challenge from these groups regarding promoting women’s rights. So far we succeeded to convince our partners to operate low profile, avoiding large open gatherings of women in public places. We will continue to exercise at low profile to implement and improve

activities regarding women’s rights. HIRDA has survived in many precarious situations because HIRDA is a grass root organization and it is the community as a whole and community stakeholders in particular that protect their projects. HIRDA will operate under this policy but the risks from these groups can’t be neglected and therefore we will take all precautions to safeguard the life of our staff and our projects.

Somalia has experienced one of the longest civil wars in Africa if it is not the world and has entered now its worst scenario by becoming a proxy war. The biggest victim of the war is the civilian population as hundreds die on daily basis and thousands are displaced creating the biggest group of IDP in Africa now,

along with IDP of the DR of Congo. The IDP seek shelter and safety in relative peaceful areas of the country. HIRDA together with international donor has been distributing food aid to the IDP for the last 7 years in different regions in Somalia.



The IDP set up camps mostly in urban areas and share the meager resources with host community which sometimes creates irritation that if not resolved

accurately within a short timeframe transforms into conflict. Such conflicts result in situations where IDP have to move again to unchartered destination. HIRDA has been working with host communities as well as with IDP to minimize frictions and prevent conflict. The distribution of the food aid helped us convince both communities to harmonize their communal relationship. From now on HIRDA will focus on resettlement programs for the IDP parallel with food distribution. If the IDP are resettled, it will be possible to set up primary

education programs for the IDP’s children. In addition, young people above the school age (from 16 years old) need to be rehabilitated as apprentices for different occupational training such as plumbing, electricians, and so on. The

young people of non-IDP communities share the problem of futureless youth who falls always to the hands of warlords and other warring factions. HIRDA with the help of its alliance Oxfam Novib will pursue a policy of

rehabilitation of these youth to accelerate rebuilding the shattered lives of the youth by training them and reducing the chance that they join the warring factions and prolong the war. Within the international community, a special mission rests with the Diaspora. As members of Somali ethnic groups, Somali emigrants are perceived as one of their own by the local civil society which can result in an easier process of creating

ownership and trust. The downside of this phenomenon is that some clans get more support than others by some Somali migrant organizations, which contributes to segregation. In some cases also militia is supported which contributes to stagnation of peace processes. However, the positive contribution

of Diaspora to development and relief in terms of brain gain, remittances, creation of jobs by investing in businesses ‘back home’, engaging in international lobby and advocacy work, creative problem solving and innovation by far exceeds

the harmful results of the mentioned misuse of resources. This positive contribution has long been underestimated by international communities and major donor organizations accept Oxfam Novib. HIRDA is pleased that in the last decade the international development agencies and policy makers have come to

the same conclusion and are gradually recognizing Diaspora development organizations.

Networking as a tool for empowerment has been one of HIRDA’s focal areas. HIRDA believes that networking is a prerequisite for reducing the destructive attitude and division between Somali communities in and outside Somalia, for building peace and sustainable and inclusive governance.



Problem Analysis

Key problem Underlying problems and causes

Lack of basic

formal education

• There is no government that facilitates basic education in

South-Central Somalia

• International NGOs are not working on basic education in the region

• High level of poverty

• Low capacity of teachers • Insufficient human capital and lack of school

accommodations

• Occupation of the classrooms in the schools • Lack of standardized curriculum • There is no equal opportunity for boys and girls • School dropout under the girls are high • Instability of the region • Influx of the refugees

Gender imbalance • Women are financially dependent

• Illiteracy rate under the women is high • Women have no political and social influence • Women are unaware of the consequences of FGM and

HIV/AIDS • Lack of female teachers in the schools and role models in

general • Early marriage • Women are mostly the only bread winners of the family • Single mothers are common

Food shortage,

inflation and high poverty

• Food production in the region is law

• Law capacity of farmers and pastoralists

• Lack of proper equipment • Devaluation of Somali shilling • Fuel price increasing rapidly

• Lack of market and crop storage • Lack of job opportunities • Lack of functioning government

• Natural disasters

Lack of primary health service

• There are no functioning hospitals in the district • There no trained community health workers and

professionals • High mortality of the children under five years • Maternal mortality during delivery

• High risk of HIV/AIDS

• High risk of epidemic outbreak • Absence of information on the HIV/AIDS situation in the

country (including on vulnerable groups), and less

attention and support for people living with HIV/AIDS, including pregnant women

Somali Diaspora

engagement with development is minimal

• There is no sufficient capacity

• There is little networking and information sharing between Somali Diaspora development organizations

• Interest of donor organizations and Netherlands public toward Somalia is minimal

• Integration problems of Somali community in the Netherlands

• Somali Diaspora professionals are not included in the



process of policy development • Influence of clan and regional based conflict in Somalia

Intervention strategies

HIRDA has made considerable progress since its establishment in South-Central Somalia and is going to continue and extend its work in this region. These achievements stimulate HIRDA to enlarge its ambitions. In the next five years HIRDA will not focus solely on South-Central Somalia but on Somaliland, Puntland

and the various Somali ethnic groups living in East African countries outside Somalia, such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. However, due to limited resources and time required to make changes in the organizational structure and development we will put these ambitions into

practice gradually. In 2011 and 2012 we will still focus on South-Central Somalia mainly. In the meanwhile we will work on our connections and take necessary steps to bring about the expansion in geographical area mentioned for the following years.

Based on HIRDA strategic position and experience gained over the past 12 years of the organizations’ existence, our primary focus will be on tackling the problems concerning education, the position of women, IDP, refugees and people in disaster

areas. The organization also aims to increase the Diaspora engagement in the Netherlands, as well as in other European countries and North America.

HIRDA’s approach is based on the following key principles to bring about change: • Projects should be based upon the demands and needs of the community

• Increasing the awareness and capacity of individuals and community organizations regarding issues such as, education, health and access to food, as well as the function of decision-making processes and democratization, is essential for developing a self-reliant community which

is capable of taking care of its own needs; HIRDA believes that the key to development lies in strengthening local individuals, communities and other local institutions that are responsible for the implementation of development interventions.

• Building ownership of activities through the establishment of local (community) management structures, which will be involved right from the start of the activity, will ensure projects become self-sustainable and

less dependent on external funding and support; • Incorporate peace building and reconciliation activities in the program to

enhance mutual respect and tolerance within the communities. To this end, HIRDA promotes the integration of the civic approach in the

curriculum of primary schools. The civic approach pays more attention to the children’s social life and their responsibility towards others and the community. Children will be exposed to civic education through group discussions, schools plays, etc;

• Involving Diaspora individuals and organizations as a tool to increase financial remittances, the direct support of the work force and knowledge to Somalia.

Target groups

In the East African region

The formal education activities are targeted at children of school age, especially

girls, to promote their right to education and to create better perspectives for their future. The informal education is targeted at youth and adults, especially women. Teachers are targeted for capacity building as an integrated part of

improving the quality of education.



Women are a specific target group for HIRDA; to strengthen women's social and political position in the community and to increase their financial independency. Community leaders, CSOs, CBOs and remittance receivers are targeted to develop

knowledgeable and civilized individuals and members of society who can advance

themselves in life skills and who may contribute to achieving self-reliant communities. Relief services of HIRDA are targeted at IDP and people in disaster areas. Where possible, HIRDA will target the so-called ‘lost’ generation. This group is

often destabilizing communities as a result of their difficult position: They missed education opportunities when they were young, and now face problems in getting a paid job or grasping job opportunities so struggle to become financially

independent and self-reliant. In the Netherlands and other developed countries

The activities of HIRDA target Somali migrants (esp. youngsters), Diaspora

organizations and migrant network organizations; to increase their engagement for the development of their home country. Dutch government, the European Commission, other governments and

governmental organizations are targeted to increase international attention for the development of Somali ethnic groups in East Africa. One of the objectives of HIRDA is to enhance the sustainability of development efforts in conflict areas such as Somalia. In this light, HIRDA’s experience with

project implementation will also be available to multi- and bilateral development organizations and NGOs that choose to channel their development efforts through others.

Strategic partners

In Somalia and neighboring countries

HIRDA has always operated in a volatile and convoluted environment. Often, the

insecurity level was so high, that the gun possession ratio was one in every five males. In such a volatile environment in Somalia, HIRDA was able to implement projects with cooperation of the HIRDA team in Somalia and with community stakeholders, local administration, government institutions and local NGOs. For

the next five years it is HIRDA's priority to continue establishing good working relationships with local stakeholders, national and local authorities, CSOs, CBOs and NGOs to facilitate an effective implementation of projects.

Since HIRDA’s position is changing from a mainly implementing organization to a

mainly funding organization, we developed strict partner selection criteria. New partners will be selected according to these criteria. HIRDA will continue to work with its current partners/schools and support them to meet the recently developed criteria. Relevant stakeholders related to HIRDA’s strategic objectives are the community leaders, women and youth organizations with strong constituency from the community, CBOs with a track record, community (education) committees, local

authorities, central government, umbrella networks such as GEN, international NGOs (e.g. SANA, ARAHA, Ader Foundation and SDF, IDRF, SRF, IFAD, HCI, LIFE, AET) and local NGOs (e.g. SADO, NCA, TROCAIRE, HornAfrik, PHRC, FPEN, CED) and international development agencies such as UNICEF, WFP, WHO and Oxfam

Novib. The latter is an important strategic partner in Somalia, as well as in the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands and other developed countries

In the Netherlands, HIRDA has been a partner of Oxfam Novib since 1999. Later,

HIRDA became also partner of Hivos and different funding organizations in USA and Canada, mainly for relief activities.



HIRDA works together with various Somali NGOs in the Netherlands and abroad such as, FSAN, SOMNGO, SOMVAO and the advocacy group SAG/Somali to

promote the dialogue and international attention for the development of East Africa. Partnering with Somalia NGOs HIRDA also serves the purpose to favor reconciliation and mutual respect between the various Somali groups. The Municipality of Breda covers salaries payment for the project coordinator of HIRDA Netherlands.

Financial institutions, such as branches of KAAH Express in the Netherlands, contribute to improve the distribution of remittances throughout rural areas in East Africa. HIRDA works closely with various youth organizations in order to involve (Somali) youth with the development of East Africa. HIRDA is member of Eurosom, a European wide football and athletics’ organization. Sport plays a role in HIRDA’s activities both in Somalia and the

Netherlands. HIRDA will continue to work, strengthen ties with and support networks in the Netherlands, especially on education and gender issues to create a link with

different communities in South-Central Somalia. We will work closely with alliance partners, especially Oxfam Novib to strengthen these networks and build capacity.

Geographical areas

HIRDA has been working in Gedo en Galgaduud regions for the last 12 years. We will continue to work with our existing partners and gradually build new partnerships in other regions of South-Central Somalia, as well as in Somaliland, North East Kenya and within the boundaries of Somali Regional Government in Ethiopia. These are the specific regions per zone in East Africa that we aim to cover by the end of this strategic planning period:

• South-Central Somalia: Banaadir/Mogadishu, Lower and Middle Shabeele, Hiiraan, Galgaduud, Gedo, Lower Juba and Bay.

• Somaliland: Hargeysa, Sanaag and Sool, Awdal. • North East Kenya: Garrisa, Wajeer and Mandheera

• Somali regional government in Ethiopia: Jigjiga, Wardheer and Qalaafe We will select reliable partners in new regions and will connect with the Diaspora originating from those regions and Diaspora NGOs to improve accessibility and

ownership creation but also for funding purposes. MFSII funding will be used for projects in South-Central Somalia. Other sources of funding will apply to the remaining regions.



INTERVENTION AREAS

HIRDA will focus on the following intervention areas in the next 5 year period

from 2011 to 2015: • Education • Gender and identity related issues • Humanitarian response

• Sustainable livelihoods • Diaspora engagement

Lobby, advocacy and publicity will be a part of all these intervention areas.

Education

HIRDA aims to give the school aged children their right to education and create better perspectives for their future. In Somalia and among Somali ethnic groups

in neighboring countries, enrolment rates in primary education are still very low. HIRDA’s focus will be on promoting equal access for boys and girls and to favor a more child friendly learning environment. Improved access to and enhanced

quality of education will result in better job opportunities for school graduates. This will have a positive effect on the family income and hence on the willingness of families to send their children to school. In Somalia, one of the biggest obstacles towards achieving sustainable good quality education is that teachers

are often working on a voluntary basis or for a small salary. HIRDA’s main challenge will be to secure teachers’ salaries by organizing community education committees who must ensure payment. To address socio-economic and health

issues HIRDA will facilitate curriculum development and inclusion on various subjects for awareness-raising purposes, also in the neighboring countries.

HIRDA’s objectives to increase the access to sustainable, qualitative and

accessible basic education for all children regardless gender are: 1. Creation of child friendly learning environment through building and

renovating classrooms in order to reduce overcrowding, providing new school furniture, rehabilitation of schools and providing school education tents;

2. Enhancing educational opportunities for children of school age, in particular for girls, orphans and children of marginalized groups;

3. Enhancing the quality of the education by ensuring that the schools have skilled teachers possessing strong subject content knowledge, and capacity to manage the school and to engage in well planned and accurate forecasting of education development activities and by supporting

curriculum development. 4. Promoting the establishment, continuation and cooperation of education

umbrella organizations in the region to favor mutual learning;

5. Raising community awareness on the importance of education, the value of self-reliance, participatory decision making and community ownership, targeting especially parents, teachers and community leaders;

6. Increasing the enrolment in secondary schools.

Besides support to formal education, HIRDA also aims to support informal education to contribute to a reduction in illiteracy rates and to promote job opportunities for women and the so-called ‘lost generation’ as well as to promote peace, stability and services in the region. With respect to informal education, HIRDA’s objectives are:

1. Supporting vocational education and training;

2. Promoting adult education programs and literacy classes;



3. Promoting peace and stability in the region through edutainment and sport.

Gender and identity related issues

“Gender inequality, which remains pervasive worldwide, tends to lower the productivity of labor and the efficiency of labor allocation in households and the

economy, intensifying the unequal distribution of resources. It also contributes to the non-monetary aspects of poverty – lack of security, opportunity and empowerment – that lower the quality of life for both men and women. While

women and girls bear the largest and most direct costs of these inequalities, the costs cut broadly across society, ultimately hindering development and poverty reduction,”2

HIRDA recognizes the important role that women play in development. They provide food for the family, raise the children, and are often the binding factor between families in the community. There is a lot to enhance in the overall

situation of Somali women in Somalia and East African region as well as amongst Diaspora. Poverty, lack of access to education and primary healthcare, high-risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, maternal mortality during delivery, harmful traditional/

cultural and social practices such as FGM, gender-based violence, lack of access and control of economic resources, lack of participation in decision-making processes are the main issues that HIRDA will addressed in this context.

Therefore, besides this intervention area, the rights-based approach, gender

justice and conflict sensitivity will be integrated into all intervention areas. HIRDA will contribute to the development of guidelines and indicators to monitor gender mainstreaming with counterparts and their programs in cooperation with alliance partner Oxfam Novib.

Our specific program for gender and identity related issues withholds the

following objectives: 1. Enabling women to organize themselves, to express their needs and to

take part in negotiation and decision making processes by strengthening

women's social and political position in the community through the creation of women empowerment centers where women can discuss freely about their role in society and peacemaking process and where trainings are organized on various topics to increase the power of women;

2. Enabling women to increase their independency by organizing financial literacy training and by providing micro-credits to women entrepreneurs;

3. Continuing the campaign of eradicating the practice of FGM through

awareness raising and through the creation of alternative professions for women circumcisers and by recruiting key persons in the community who will become ambassadors for awareness raising regarding these issues;

4. Improving the care for mothers and children by the construction or

rehabilitation of mother and child health centers, by providing vaccines and food for children suffering from malnutrition, and by training Community Health Workers in first aid;

5. Awareness-raising and networking will be promoted and facilitated.

As to the second point, we will continue our efforts in South-Central Somalia to increase access to financial services both in number of direct clients as well as geographical location. The recently set up small scale micro credit facilities will be strengthened and assisted to be replicated in various urban areas with a view to

serve both urban and neighboring rural based clients. Besides providing credit

2 Gender and Development Group -World Bank, from the report "Gender Equality and the Millennium

Development Goals"



opportunities, this anticipated MFI and eventually network will also be used as a platform to extend remittance services to the beneficiaries beyond the established

outlets by the end of this five year period. In addition, we shall explore possibilities of organizing more rural based beneficiaries into self-managed livelihood groups and link them to the micro credit facilities and eventually MFI’s.

Humanitarian response

Relief

Somalia has suffered from 18 years of civil war and severe natural calamities such as drought and flooding. These disasters directly affected the degree of self-

reliance of communities and the access to primary education. Therefore, HIRDA aims to provide relief services to minimize the impact of these calamities on their projects. HIRDA’s objectives for the coming 5 years are to:

1. Provide food, shelter, water and sanitation to IDP and people in disaster

areas; 2. Facilitate the (re)settlement process for IDP; 3. Reduce the number and severity of conflicts between IDP and residents by

offering mediation services to the parties involved.

Self-reliance of communities

Raising awareness of individuals and groups in the community is a sine qua non for the development of any community. Strong and self-reliant communities are needed to sustain the program’s activities in the field of education, health and

women empowerment, especially in Somalia where there are no effective government basic services provided. With respect to building self-reliant communities, HIRDA’s objectives are to:

1. Develop knowledgeable and civilized individuals and members of society

who can advance themselves in life skills and ensure sustainability; 2. Increase the capacity of community organizations in all intervention areas

by offering continuous capacity building trainings;

3. Reduce violence and promote peace and reconciliation within the community and its neighbors by organizing reconciliation and peace promotion activities and by providing civic and social education at schools and in the communities;

4. To put direct assistance to the Somali people, capacity building of Somali organizations, and protection of conflict victims as well as reducing the destructive attitude and division between Somali communities in and outside Somalia higher on the agenda of the international community.

By involving the local community intensively with the activities, we wish to build trust and confidence, to open discussions on sensitive issues like FGM and

HIV/AIDS and to change the mentality of the community with respect to these issues gradually.

Sustainable livelihoods

Interventions in this area will mostly focus on adaptation of rural livelihoods to climate change, to build resilience of communities against climate change and frequent disasters. This will include:

1. Supporting livestock management and marketing support, fodder production;

2. Supporting improvement of farming systems in areas that are suitable for rain fed and irrigated farming, including support to storage and marketing of products;



3. Environmental education and awareness-raising on environmental rehabilitation incl. rehabilitation and conservation of grazing lands and

water sources, as well as small scale projects for establishment of protected areas e.g. as tree nurseries and work on renewable energy;

4. Leveraging remittances to development in order to decrease community dependence.

Opportunities will be explored to link livelihoods programs to micro credit facilities in our gender program. Our livelihoods work will also connect to education (e.g.

environmental education) and humanitarian response (sustainability of reconstruction after disaster).

Diaspora engagement

The interest and engagement of Diaspora in the development of Somalia and

other East African regions where Somalia ethnic groups are living, is important to give the development the required boost. However, engaging Somali Diaspora to take an active role in the development is a difficult and challenging task. A division and a destructive attitude between Somali communities living in Somalia

and other parts of East Africa also exist among Diaspora living in Europe or the United States. Remittances, which are the main economic source of the Somali community, are not shared equally. The rural communities do not have the same access to the

funding sent by their families abroad. Most of the benefits of these overseas contributions stay within urban areas. HIRDA will use its network with financial institutions to contribute to a more equal distribution of remittances, also by facilitating Hawala (remittance transfer networks).

Another problem to tackle is that remittances induce dependence. This puts an

enormous burden on the shoulders of the senders especially when we take into consideration that less and less senders will be carrying this load in the feature because the generations to come have less connections with their country of

origin.

In this context HIRDA will take action in the following areas:

1. Change brain-drain into brain-gain by mobilizing Diaspora to provide their expertise to their country of origin;

2. Increase financial and social remittances;

3. Leverage the remittances by providing financial literacy training to migrants and their family in East Africa (for a more effective and efficient use of funds), by establishing remittance networks and by using contacts

with financial institutions to lower transaction cost and increase flexibility of money transfers;

4. Increase the interest for issues related to “Migration & Development” by participating in and initiating different networks of migrant and

development aid organizations; and by attending and initiating debates, trainings, conferences and meetings;

5. Reduce the destructive attitude and division between Somali communities

and NGOs by setting up awareness raising campaigns.

A proven fact by experience is that Somali Diaspora can only contribute to the development of East Africa if they are well integrated in their host country. Migrants with low education levels usually have poor career perspectives and low income levels; hence they will be focused on their own struggle rather than on

the development of their home country. This is why HIRDA works on the integration of Somali youth. HIRDA seeks to involve young people in the work of the organization and takes care that the younger generation, having less strong

ties with their home country, see the importance of contributing to their home



country. Also, integrated Somali youth are seen as important actors for raising awareness among young Dutch people, and for promoting debates on female

circumcision and poverty reduction in East Africa. In this context, HIRDA will take action to:

1. Encourage young migrants to benefit from the opportunities offered by the host country (such as education, self development and job opportunities) and enhance their integration. This will be done, for example, through the organization of sport events, debates, exchanges, fundraising events.

2. Encourage young migrants to get involved in development issues through innovative ideas that provoke their imagination.

3. Encourage citizenship and citizen participation, incl. voter education,

citizen’s charters, etc. to create familiarity with democratic governance models and practices especially amongst youngsters so they can participate in decision-making processes in the Netherlands and commence to believe that this is a feasible option for the Somali situation

as well.



OUTCOMES AIMED PER INTERVENTION AREA

At the end of 2015 we aim to have achieved the following targets per intervention area. The quantitative indicators provided are not inclusive for the different

activities unless specifically mentioned. The objectives with a (*) marking will be realized fully or partially with MFSII funding.

Education

Formal

Objective 1*: Creation of child friendly learning environment

Program partners Target area Target group ON, UNICEF, UNSDP,

IDRF

Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo, Bay, Banaadir and Lower

Juba

Children age 6-14 including

children of IDP

• 1 model school per target area is built or rehabilitated with all equipment necessary including a library, cantina, nursery and playgrounds per school. A minimum of 5.040 children, (50% girls and 50% boys) will benefit from these model schools. (ON)

• With our school/classroom rehabilitation and equipment/materials provision program we hope to reach at least 4.000 children.(ON, UNICEF)

• Our school recreations and sport facilities program will target another 4.000.

(UNSDP)

• 1.000 children of IDP will be provided with school tents and educational

equipment and materials. (IDRF)

Objective 2*: Enhancing educational opportunities for children of school

age

Program partners Target area Target group

ON, UNICEF, OLPC,

IDRF, Butterfly Works

Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo,

Bay, Banaadir and Lower Juba

Children age 6-14 including

children of IDP, especially girls orphans and marginalized children

• Children of IDP and host communities will be receiving emergency education in Galgaduud and Hiiraan (the same target group as in Objective 1). (IDRF, UNICEF)

• E-learning will be introduced in the model schools mentioned in Objective 1

and promoted from there reaching 3.000 children (inclusive). (Butterfly Works, OLPC)

• With our orphans and marginalized children sponsoring program in Galgaduud, Gedo and Bay we aim to lower the drop-out rate and reach at least 1.000 girls.

(ON)

Objective 3*: Enhancing the quality of the education


ON, UNICEF, WHO,

Butterfly Works, Aflatoun

Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo,


(Female) teachers, Children

age 6-14 of IDP

• 500 teachers will get subject training and training in computer skills, class

management and (ortho)didactics courses. Female teachers will enjoy preferential treatment to enable them to get and retain employment.

• The subjects FGM, HIV/AIDS, peace promotion, living and learning and social, environmental and financial education will be added to the existing curricula in

40 schools, reaching at least 16.000 children. (ON 25%)



Objective 4*: Promoting the establishment, continuation and cooperation

of education umbrella organizations


ON, Somali NGO Consortium

South-Central Somalia School administrations and CBOs, existing and new

networks

• 40 community schools in South-Central Somalia will be encouraged and empowered to unify their education systems towards more standardized and

better quality education (re. curricula/ language, certification, etc.) through participation in education networks.

• 12 education partners like CBOs will be encouraged and empowered to connect

to regional networks and community schools, and learn from each other and from other actors to implement more effective quality education programs. Eventually these networks will be linked with its natural counterparts abroad.

• Cooperation will be sought with other target areas where Oxfam Novib has

partners.

Objective 5*: Raising community awareness on the value of education, self reliance, participatory decision making and community ownership,

targeting especially parents and community leaders.


ON Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo, Bay, Banaadir and Lower Juba

Parents, teachers and community leaders

• Enhancement of engagement of 3.000 parents and community leaders in

educational activities in the schools will be facilitated through edutainment and

mobilization for extracurricular activities in schools to ensure sustainability of formal education, with Community Education Committees.

• 100 Diaspora will be mobilized to co-advocate for higher education levels,

participation and e-learning to reach 20 of their relatives and friends each.

Objective 6*: Increasing the enrolment in secondary schools


ON, AET Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo,


Youth (especially

marginalized youth)

• 300 youngsters (50% girls and 50% boys) are sponsored to continue their education after primary school. (50% ON)

Informal

Objective 1*: Supporting vocational education


ON Banaadir and Lower Juba Youth age 16 to 20

• 200 youth in Banaadir and Lower Juba will get perspectives for employment, and develop peaceful behavior and life skills (i.e. through vocational training,

youth clubs, recreational facilities, conflict management training, ‘edutainment’, etc.)

• 200 SHWs (75% women and girls) are trained and have better perspectives on

employment, to improve the badly needed basic community health system, hence enhancing the local community’s health standard at local level.



Objective 2: Promoting adult education programs and literacy classes.


UNICEF, IDRF Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo, Bay, Banaadir and Lower Juba

Illiterate/uneducated (female) adults

• Where possible, especially in the model schools and partner schools with which

we worked in the past years, the use of classrooms for literacy classes and adult education programs in the evenings especially for women3 is promoted.

Such initiatives will be assessed and eventually facilitated to reach approximately 2.000 adults.

Objective 3: Promoting peace and stability in the region through

edutainment and sport.


UNSDP, ITTF South-Central Somalia Communities, sport clubs

• Peace and stability in the region will be promoted by supporting peace building

and reconciliation activities through edutainment (e.g. drama, cultural festivals, conferences) in 10 communities reaching approximately 5.000 people.

• A peace and sport program will be developed to enhance community interaction which will involve tournaments, competitions and peace marathons. Aiming 20 teams and approximately 5.000 spectators.

3 "Educate a man and you educate an individual. Educate a woman and you educate a family."

A. Cripps



Gender and identity related issues

Objective 1*: Women empowerment


ON Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo,


Women

• Establishment and support of 6 women empowerment centers, where

approximately 6.000 women per year can discuss freely about their role in society and where trainings are organized on various topics, will be promoted

and facilitated.

• Women's social and political position in the community will be strengthened by enabling them to organize themselves, to express their needs and deliberate

on solutions. (300 women inclusive)

• Women will be supported to take part in negotiation and decision making processes. (60 women inclusive)

Objective 2*: Women financial support


ON Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo, Bay, Banaadir and Lower Juba

Women

• 1.000 women will be enabled to increase their independency through financial literacy trainings.

• 2.500 skilled women, who have access to micro-credits, run viable small-scale

businesses in urban and rural areas, providing them an income to sustain their daily livelihoods.

• 2 incubator programs are established in Galgaduud and Gedo where 100 women will be reached.

Objective 3*: Eradication of FGM


ON Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo, Bay, Banaadir and Lower

Juba

Women, community leaders and key persons

• Our campaign for eradicating the practice of FGM through awareness-raising will be continued and extended to reach 15.000 women (Objective 1 inclusive).

• 60 key persons in communities will be recruited to become ambassadors for

eradication of FGM. • Our existing program to create alternative professions for women circumcisers

will be enhanced and implemented to reach 300 women circumcisers.

Objective 4: Improving MCH Centers


UNICEF, SRF Galgaduud, Gedo Women and children

• 6 mother and MCH Centers will be supported.

• Vaccines and food for 15.000 children suffering from malnutrition, will be provided.

• Trainings will be provided for Community Health Workers in first aid.



Objective 5*: Awareness-raising and networking


ON, Butterfly Works, Somali NGO Consortium

Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo, Bay, Banaadir and Lower Juba, Hargeysa, Boorama

Communities, CBOs, women

organizations, women and girls

• Awareness-raising programs against sexual and gender-based violence will be set up reaching 2.000 people.

• Networking between 12 women organizations and CBOs that take on gender related issues will be promoted. Eventually this network will be linked with its natural counterparts abroad.



Humanitarian response

Relief

Objective 1: Provide food, shelter, water and sanitation to IDP and

people in disaster areas


IDRF, ARAHA, SRF, HCA

Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo, Banaadir and Lower Juba

Drought-, flood- and conflict-affected people,

particularly children and women

• 15.000 people, particularly children and women, receive timely, adequate and

equitable life-saving humanitarian aid and assistance, with a view to rehabilitate their livelihoods and giving them a perspective to take

development into their own hands again. Assistance is coordinated with other donor organizations and channeled through local partners accountable to local communities and donors alike.

Objective 2: Facilitate the (re)settlement process for IDP


IDRF Galgaduud, Hiiraan Cooperatives of IDP and farmers

• 10 cooperatives amongst IDP will be established. • Distribution of farming land for the 10 cooperatives to serve 200 internally

displaced families.

• Equipment and seed supply for 2000 residential farmers. • 150 former pastoralist will be provided with 10 animals each.

Objective 3: Reduce the number and severity of conflicts between IDP

and residents


IDRF Galgaduud, Hiiraan IDP and residents

• By offering mediation services to 200 community leaders of IDP and residents, the number and severity of conflicts between those communities will be

reduced.

Self-reliance of communities

Objective 1: Develop knowledgeable and civilized individuals and

members of society


PSO, EC Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo,


Community groups,

livelihood associations, IDP, women, youth and minority groups

• 200 people from community groups, livelihood associations, IDP, women, youth and minority groups have the capacity to protect themselves, and to demand justice and participate in decision-making which affects their lives in Bay and Lower Juba.



Objective 2*: Increase the capacity of community organizations


ON Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo, Bay, Banaadir and Lower

Juba

All core partners

• All HIRDA core partners in Somalia have developed accountability mechanisms towards their constituencies, target groups and communities.

Objective 3: Reduce violence and promote peace and reconciliation


IDRF, SRF, EC Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo, Bay, Banaadir and Lower Juba

Local communities

• 2000 adults will get civic education as part of our adult education program.

• Inter-communal peace initiatives are facilitated. • 200 community elders and religious leaders will get capacity building trainings

in conflict management.

Objective 4: International acknowledgement


IDRF, SRF, EC Europe and North America International Community incl. Diaspora

• The international community has higher on its agenda the direct assistance to the Somali people, capacity building of Somali organizations, and protection of conflict victims as well as reducing the destructive attitude and division

between Somali communities in and outside Somalia.



Sustainable livelihoods

Objective 1: Supporting livestock management and marketing support,

fodder production


IDRF, CIDA Galgaduud, Hiiraan IDP, pastoralist, farmers

• 10 cooperatives amongst IDP (relief objective 2) in Hiiraan will be supported in livestock management, marketing and fodder production. For the latter the farmers in the same area will also get support.

• 5 water reservoirs will be built to serve 1000 pastoralist.

Objective 2: Supporting improvement of farming systems


IFAD Lower Shabeele Farming cooperatives

• 10 existing cooperatives of farmers are supported to improve farming systems

in areas that are suitable for rain fed and irrigated farming in Lower Shabeele, including support to storage and marketing of products.

Objective 3: Environmental education and awareness-raising on

environmental rehabilitation


Barefoot Galgaduud, Hiiraan and

Lower Shabeele

Local communities

• Local communities are aware of the importance of environmental issues and support the development of more sustainable production systems (including renewable energy sources).

Objective 4: Leveraging remittances to development


IFAD Galgaduud, Hiiraan, Gedo,


Hawala’s and remittance

receivers

• 500 Remittance receivers will be encouraged to use a percentage of their resources for sustainable income generation instead of consumption.

• 10 Hawala’s are encouraged to engage in socially responsible entrepreneurship.



Diaspora engagement

Objective 1: Change brain-drain into rain-gain


1%Club, Diaspora

organizations

The Netherlands Diaspora professionals and

students

• Modest progress is booked in diverting brain-drain into brain-gain by mobilizing Diaspora to provide their expertise to their country of origin.

• 10 Diaspora professionals have worked at least 6 months in Somalia.

Objective 2: Increase financial remittances


ON, IFAD The Netherlands Somali migrants

• Increase of financial remittances of Somalia ethnic groups that send money to East Africa is stimulated. 500 migrants will be reached.

Objective 3: Leverage the remittances


INTENT, DFID, IFAD The Netherlands, Somalia Remittance senders and their families in East Africa

• Financial literacy training to migrants and their family (in total 250 people) in East Africa will be provided for a more effective and efficient use of remittances.

• Remittance networks will be established and promoted. • Possibilities will be explored to decrease transaction costs and increase

flexibility of money transfers in cooperation with financial institutions.

• Consumer services will be delivered (e.g. comparison of transaction costs and exchange rates) to Diaspora through the HIRDA website.

Objective 4: Increase the interest for issues related to “Migration &

Development”


ON, 1%Club The Netherlands Migrant and development

aid organizations

• An increase in interest for issues related to “Migration & Development” will be realized through participating in and initiating different networks of migrant

and development aid organizations. • Debates, trainings, conferences and meetings will be attended and initiated to

distinguish and emphasize the role of migrants in development issues.

Objective 5: Reduce the destructive attitude and division between Somali

communities and NGOs


ON Europe and North America Somali community

• Awareness-raising campaigns will be set up to reduce destructive attitude and

division between Somali communities and NGOs. • Conferences and debates will be organized to promote a collective agenda for

lobby and advocacy concerning Somalia, targeting the international community.



Youth

Objective 1: Encourage young migrants to benefit from the opportunities

offered by the host country


NJI, Oranje Fonds, KNVB, Amsterdam

municipality

The Netherlands Youth

• Young migrants will be made aware and encouraged to explore and employ the opportunities offered by the host country such as education, personal

development and employment. • Integration of Somalia youth in the Netherlands will be enhanced through sport

events, debates, national student exchanges, mixed camps, fundraising events

etc.

Objective 2: Encourage young migrants to get involved in development issues


PSO, 1%Club The Netherlands Migrant youth

• Innovative ideas will be developed to provoke the imagination of young migrants and stimulate their interest in development issues.

Objective 3: Encourage citizenship and citizen participation to create

familiarity with democratic governance models and practices


Ministerie van VWS,

ON, Oranje Fonds, Skanfonds, NJI, Amsterdam

municipality

The Netherlands Migrant youth

• Young migrants are encouraged to participate in decision-making processes in the Netherlands and commence believing that this is a feasible option for the

Somali situation as well. Voter education, citizen’s charters amongst others will be organized to create familiarity with democratic governance models and practices

"We live in an era where masses of people come and go across a hostile planet,

desolate and violent. Refugees, emigrants, exiles, deportees... How can one not

speak about war, poverty, and inequality when people who suffer from these

afflictions don't have a voice to speak?"

Isabel Allende



RISK ANALYSIS

Probability of success of the strategy

HIRDA has built a strong relationship with CBOs in South and Central Somalia and improved the capacity of local NGOs, community stakeholders and other CSOs through capacity building. Besides capacity building HIRDA has built local NGO networks among civil society to advocate for more policy changes and peace building practice. This cooperation between HIRDA, community stakeholders and other civil society organizations has strengthened the effectiveness of HIRDA’s thematic implementations throughout Somalia especially South and Central

Somalia. The thematic areas were implemented by the HIRDA offices in The Netherlands and in Somalia. One of the important thematic areas was empowerment of women by building their capacity and improving their rights

through advocacy and literacy training in terms of financial, reading and writing. Therefore HIRDA thematic activities, CBO and NGO capacity building as well as community awareness raising resulted in a strong civil society able to manage their issues and voice their concerns. Since its foundation, HIRDA has adopted a

policy of neutrality and community ownership which enabled HIRDA to work relatively successfully in volatile situation in Somalia. Since 2003 HIRDA has also worked on humanitarian activities with the help of community stakeholders because Somalia became prone natural disaster (floods, droughts and etc.) and manmade area let alone south and central zones which were under constant conflict that displaced thousands of families from their

homes. HIRDA has been working on humanitarian program with a number of international organizations such as International Development and Relief foundation (IDRF), Somali Relief Fund (SRF), and African Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa (ARAHA) and others for better humanitarian coordination and

effective emergency responses to assist the affected families. CBO and Local NGO capacity building, community awareness and peace building, building education networks program are continuing, and puts us in a good position to implement

our strategy. On education, HIRDA has built Networking on Education among education umbrellas in Gedo and Lower Juba regions by forming Gedo Education Network

(GEN) and Juba Education Network (JEN). HIRDA also become a member of Africa Educational Trust, an international NGO based in London that facilitates primary and secondary examinations and issues recognized certificates. This organization

works closely with Ministry of Education of Federal Transitional Government and other regional authorities like in Puntland and Somaliland. Besides that, HIRDA works in partnership with UNICEF on mobilization and mentoring on primary formal education and non-formal education. The program mobilizes the youth to

re-integrate them to the mainstream society and build their basic literacy. The program creates also better future perspective for the youth and dislodges them from being recruited by opposition groups fighting in Somalia. As part of education network building we are working very closely together with above networks, whereby we will learn from each other’s strengths and capacities. HIRDA has a management team in Somalia that has been working for the last ten

years on social services (basic education, basic health) women empowerment, peace building and conflict prevention. HIRDA has professional staff and focal points in most regions in South-Central Somalia. HIRDA board and its staff in the Netherlands and in Somalia have adverse professional backgrounds which

enabled HIRDA to successfully implement its projects in Somalia known as a risk area. Besides that, there are a variety of local NGOs, and other partners working



closely with HIRDA. Together with its local partners HIRDA enjoys a unique position to implement programs that have quick positive impact on the local

community. An analysis of the external environment has led HIRDA to choose the strategies described above and accommodate the context of the strategies and it appears that the following factors will remain in place:

• Since there is no functional government, it is not expected the government education department will fulfill its obligation and the need for urgent support for millennium goals needed

• Somalia is passing a period of highest humanitarian crisis in its history, which will deepen over the coming months if not years. If humanitarian crisis is reduced, there will be a massive need for repatriations of

refugees, rehabilitation and construction of basic services in the country • HIRDA will continue to participate in relief, rehabilitation and development,

and is in a good position due to its added value as a part of the local community and its active role in relief and development.

• There is a renewed global interest in fragile states, and in the dangers of countries breeding lawlessness, terrorism and piracy. HIRDA will seek the support of its alliances like Oxfam Novib to lobby through media and through government circles that Somalia be recognized as a fragile state which will give the current government moral and political support

• Diaspora communities have been fulfilling the basic services like basic education, basic health, water and sanitation since the collapse of Somali

government. HIRDA, in alliance with Oxfam Novib, intends to increase and expand these services to other parts of the country and is confident to have the contacts and experience to do so.

Within and around Somalia, the following actors are favorable to our strategy: • HIRDA partners like Community Based Organizations, education networks;

local community stakeholders are increasing in number and capacity in

Somalia especially in south and central Somalia. Our strategic choices were based on working in partnership with stakeholders mentioned here.

• Through HIRDA’s policy of awareness of community ownership, communities are willing to contribute to the basic services and assume

their responsibilities towards their services. The same applies to engaging traditional and religious leaders to keep them on board and HIRDA found them to respond positively to activities beneficial to their communities and

for human rights protection and minorities. • HIRDA has been engaging with Diaspora communities to contribute more

to the basic services, peace building and reconciliation to influence the political situation in Somalia. HIRDA has been seeing for the last three

years that Diaspora contributions to local communities are increasing. HIRDA will keep feeding this momentum for more Diaspora engagement to local basic services and positive influence towards our goals

The international community’s (like UN, EC) donor agencies and other donors that have been supporting HIRDA’s relief and development programs. With Oxfam Novib’s alliance, HIRDA will get more access to international circles to promote its partners activities and itself.



The principal risks – Dangers to the success of strategy

Somalia’s crisis is increasing from day to day due to various factors influencing conflict dynamics that play out across the country. Setting up a strategy of development and humanitarian assistance in such an environment is challenging and demands an in-depth understanding of the forces at play. HIRDA has been

working in such environment for the last decade and fully understands social, political, and conflict dynamics. That understanding enabled HIRDA to work in such situation. Although HIRDA and its partners are confident to work in such

environment, the risks involved that can contribute to loss of resources and life remain intact. HIRDA’s strategy is to support the community stakeholders, its CBO partners,

civil society organizations to provide services and prevent local conflicts. The level of risk is high to HIRDA in terms of institutional memory, delay of project implementation and unwillingness of experts to work in the area. HIRDA will

remain its neutrality and community stake holders’ engagement to minimize risks and that fits our strategy to deliver the services we are conducting. Our program in Somalia faces four major risks:

1. Insecurity and further escalation of war There are different opposing factions fighting each other in Somalia including the traditional government. No group appears to be having upper hand now but each group has its supporters that arm their alliance which

can escalate the war and in worst scenario can endanger the project implementation and the life of the staff especially in South-Central Somalia. Such situation will strain our implementation capacity

2. Islamic fundamentalism spreading further There are two main Islamist groups fighting to topple the recognized transitional government. Even if they succeed to topple the government,

there is a probability that the war will continue because the two Islamist groups are in collision themselves. Whichever wins, women will lose: they will most probably limit activities related to women, advocacy and gatherings will be restricted and it will be difficult to work on awareness-

raising around human/ women’s rights and social issues (HIV/AIDS, reproductive rights, etc.)openly. These groups are present in many areas of South-Central Somalia especially where HIRDA is working. So far we managed to continue our activities especially targeting women and gatherings and meetings in the women empowerment centers, because those meetings were not announced widely. The risk of activities related to human/ women’s rights and social issues (HIV/AIDS, reproductive

rights)being banned in the future, is very realistic

3. Low donor interest and funding for programs in Somalia

Somalia is considered a ‘difficult’ and ‘unreliable’ country and therefore there may be limited possibilities to generate external funds for implementing the strategy. However, abandoning Somalia is not an option whatever the situation may be, because it will only encourage and boost

the trouble makers strategy and will prolong the civil war and perhaps Somalia will become a terrorist habitat.

4. Law capacity of CBO’s to implement and to report

The CBOs in South Central Somalia especially in rural areas have mostly organized themselves and they are eager to get support from de Diaspora.



HIRDA will work with those organizations, but their capacity to report (in English) is minimal.

Our program in the Netherlands can be disrupted by the fragmentation within Somali and other Diaspora organizations. Jealousy and negative propaganda can be areas of concern as HIRDA grows.

Management of the principal risks

The above risks are planned to be mitigated and managed as follows: 1. Insecurity and further escalation of war

HIRDA will continuously monitor the situation on the ground and continuously consult with community stakeholders to respond to security issues as they arise. It will seek updates from its partners in the country for security assessment and build a network of security information frame

work to face collectively security issues and solve it collectively through negotiations and harmony. In worst scenario, HIRDA will retreat from areas where conflict prevention is not possible

2. Islamic fundamentalism spreading further HIRDA and its partners will be very aware on the situation and will be present in circles where Islamic preaching may take place so we can take

the precautions necessary. Furthermore, HIRDA will maintain low profile in critical issues mentioned and will resort to policy of non-confrontation.

3. Low donor interest and funding for programs in Somalia

HIRDA will implement its strategy with basic funding from the Alliance a.o. and will invest in its local partners that are sustainable and trustworthy. HIRDA will share all reliable information with alliance partners, regarding

best practice implementation and monitoring and deliver reports timely to convince the international donors and strengthen its fund raising campaign. HIRDA will work with its local partners in an accountable and transparent

way to fulfill the donors transparency and accountability criteria. With Oxfam Novib’s alliance, HIRDA also hopes to attract other donors interest and their attention to raise fund for projects in Somalia.

4. Law capacity of CBO’s to implement and to report HIRDA will work on building capacity of its partners on all areas with special attention to evaluation and reporting skills.

As for the Diaspora fragmentation; HIRDA has always put emphasis on

networking and will continue to do so in the future. Transparency and accountability will be the best way to clear any doubts that may be raised concerning HIRDA’s goals or integrity.



MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING (MEL)

Stakeholder participation in development of the strategy

The development of this strategic plan has been a learning process and participatory tool for HIRDA and its partners in Somalia, especially in South-

Central Somalia where the stakeholders fully participated in all decision circles. The strategy is an integral part of HIRDA’s alliance with Oxfam Novib where applicable and is in harmony with the ON country strategy on Somalia. Our

alliance deals with overall analysis and strategic priority setting for all regions in the country. Within this alliance, the priority intervention areas of HIRDA, being education and gender, apply to South-Central Somalia. For the remaining

intervention areas we apply the same strategy also in the other regions in East Africa. The strategy has been shaped with input from the existing partners and will be shared with all future partners, community stakeholders, staff and relevant experts for broader participation of all actors. The principal owner of this

plan is HIRDA, but counterparts, including HIRDA Somalia, have an important role to play in its implementation. HIRDA will operate under a single management structure during the implementation of this strategic plan

MEL during strategy implementation

HIRDA has been conducting internal and external standard monitoring and evaluation activities resulting in yearly narrative and financial reports for Oxfam Novib / Linkis funded projects compounded by reports every six months and yearly visits in which progress is checked against “toolbox milestones”.

HIRDA’s projects were evaluated three times by external evaluators and two times by external organizational auditors, all with positive outcomes and important recommendations for our learning process in terms of organizational structure, good governance and robust financial management.

The lessons learned from these auditing, evaluations and constant internal

monitoring enabled HIRDA to enhance its remote monitoring capability. Since HIRDA will attract new partners and act as a funding organization, an advanced monitoring and evaluation system will be adopted. Based on the lessons learned,

HIRDA will adapt its policy for project implementation and reporting schedules besides strict selection criteria of partners. For better monitoring and evaluation, HIRDA will adopt a quarterly reporting schedule. Our partners will be made aware of the importance of this advanced policy and the responsibilities that accompany

it. The process of adopting the policy will be a participatory one and practical problems concerning its implementation will be solved in deliberation.

HIRDA will work closely with community stakeholders and encourage them to take a more active role in implementation, monitoring and evaluation:

• Our partners will be encouraged to share project progress and evaluation reports with relevant community stakeholders.

• Communities will be playing a more prominent role in managing and monitoring projects through community project management committees,

who will have direct links to HIRDA. HIRDA can hire external experts and provide them with means to record and report on project activities and achievements.

• Partners will be supported in setting up monitoring and feedback systems with local communities, incl. data gathering, video images or pictures of activities, analysis, cross-checking, regular focus group discussions. Partners are supported to carry out real-time evaluations and peer reviews,



and to collect ‘life histories’ – stories of individual project participants- that

provide us insight into program achievements, that can be a source of learning.

• Evaluation and special audit missions will be conducted in the project areas,

at a frequency depending on the situation and project progress. • Regular meetings and trainings of local partners will be held in safe areas,

which will be attended by HIRDA. Such meetings are used to collect information about project progress according to ‘milestones’ and other

elements as agreed upon during project approvals. The monitoring and evaluation system will be a mix of the above methods and

requires extra manpower, so it will be a priority to invest in capacities of HIRDA professionals as well as in its partners. Capacity building programs will put more focus on monitoring, evaluation and learning. HIRDA will carry out evaluation programs to secure smooth implementation of the projects and their outcome.



FUNDRAISING STRATEGY

HIRDA will need more than € 5 million to implement the strategy described in this document of which € 2.4 million is requested from Dutch government out of

MFSII funding (2011 – 2015). The remaining amount will be funded by other sources. This funding strategy identifies available opportunities for possible sources of income generation.

Diaspora contribution

By enhancing our visibility and promoting HIRDA in the media we hope to increase contributions of Friends of HIRDA.

Volunteer Labor and Services

HIRDA maintains a manual of skilled labor rates by country. These rates are applied to determine the Euros value of donated labor. In some cases, the Euros

equivalent of donated labor and the market value of donated services can be considered as matching funds for grant funded projects hence be booked as in kind contributions of HIRDA to the projects.

Fundraising events

HIRDA plans to get a CBF which will allow the organization to engage in fundraising in the Netherlands. HIRDA plays an active role in the Netherlands and is a member of different platforms like DFD, ADFD, SomNGO, FSAN which enables it to undertake

fundraising activities through these platforms. Besides, HIRDA has branches in different places in Europe and North America that are and will be responsible for fundraising for Somalia. There are almost 20.000 Somalis in The Netherlands who

will be targeted for fundraising purposes. HIRDA has also good relationships with different Somali organizations with which they can organize fundraising activities for specific projects in Somalia. HIRDA used to collect money during weddings and other festivities, informal gatherings, festivals, etc. In mosques and other

places where Somali people gather HIRDA booked success in raising contributions for its cause. We will continue with and intensify our focus on these activities.

UN

HIRDA takes care that the organization is not depending on funding from the

Netherlands only. Therefore HIRDA has built a good relationship with UN organizations who are working in Somalia. Since 2004 HIRDA has succeed to get funds from UNICEF in the education sector, that relationship went in a good order, after a couple of years the health department in UNICEF also became a

partner with HIRDA. With a good success of implemented activities other UN organization has also shown interest in HIRDA like IFAD, WHO, OCHA, WFP, Global Fund. These organizations were satisfied with the projects that HIRDA has

implemented and they will continue to extend working with HIRDA. Other Funders

HIRDA has got support from different funders in the past, they will continue their

support. Two of these funders are IDRF and CIDA. These organization mostly financed humanitarian response activities in Somalia. Likewise SRF has supported emergency relief. Municipalities of Breda and Amsterdam have supported us in the last few years and we expect to continue our relationship with them and also seek funds from other municipalities in The Netherlands.



Donations

Until recently HIRDA didn’t have a strategy to explore possibilities of attracting donor enterprises. In this strategic planning period, we will develop this strategy

and start implementing it. Our initial thoughts are in the direction of approaching multinationals, banks, insurance companies and hospitals that have a social policy which corresponds with our core values. Main focus of these initiatives will be attracting resources

for our programs per intervention area or for the sustainability of our organization. We are also deliberating on establishing relationships with SME for smaller contributions on project bases. HIRDA will also explore the possibilities to connect with the associates of its alliance partners to attract donors and apply for funding together with the IMPACT Alliance partners individually or collectively.

Social Entrepreneurship

Organization of events and activities related to our expertise (e.g. counseling, training) conducted for third parties will be acquired more actively to generate income.

Furthermore, to secure sustainability of the organization, HIRDA is deliberating on exploring the possibilities of social entrepreneurship. For the moment, these deliberations are at brainstorming level but we expect to make considerable progress and maybe even commence implementation within this strategic

planning period.



ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND NEEDS

Currently, HIRDA has a hands-on board, an executive director and a program

officer in the Netherlands. HIRDA Somalia employs a country director, a secretary and a finance officer. With the expected growth in volume and the geographical and contextual extension of HIRDA’s activities, the organization will adapt its structure to the

new strategic plan as shown in the chart on the next page. The HIRDA board will repel its implementing character and become a solely policy making and supervisory organ which is responsible for developing and monitoring the policy and strategy of the organization and supervising the results. Its members will be chosen according to their specific experience and knowledge in:

• strategic organizational development;

• finance and fundraising; • communication and networking; • international relations and development;

• Somali context. Board members are expected to specialize in one, or more, intervention areas. They approve the annual operational plan and monitor its progress. The Executive Director is accountable to the board on operational, financial and human resource

management. An annual performance appraisal of the Executive Director is amongst the duties of the Board. The members assemble once a month for an official board meeting.

To be able to realize the organization envisioned and ensure sustainability HIRDA has to tackle the following problems within the next few years:

• The capacities of local and Netherlands staff need to be improved.

• Organization relies primarily on volunteers this makes it highly dependent on fluctuating and instable human resource. Professionals are needed to make optimal use of these volunteers.

• Professionals have to be attracted and kept to fulfill the below mentioned

positions. • Diversity of regular funders and donors is not sufficient. • Code Wijffels has to be implemented.



Organizational Chart



ABBREVIATIONS & PLACENAMES

ADFD African Diaspora For Development AET Agricultural Education and Training Africa AMISOM African Union Mission in Somalia ARAHA American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa BADA Baardheere Agricultural Development Association CBF Centraal Bureau Fondsenwerving (Dutch Central Bureau Fundraising) CBO Community Based Organization

CEC Community Education Committee CED CIDA Canadian International Development Agency CSO Civil Society Organization DFD Diaspora Forum for Development EU/EC European Union/European Commission Eurosom Somali Football competition in Europe, USA & Canada

FGM Female Genital Mutilation FPEN FSAN Federatie Somalische Associaties Nederland

GEN Gedo Education Network Global Fund Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria HCI Human Capital Institute Africa HIRDA Himilo Relief and Development Association HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

HornAfrik The first community TV and radio station in Somalia IASC Inter-Agency Standing Committee ICT Information and Communication Technology IDP Internally Displaced People IDRF International Development and Relief Foundation IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development ITTF International Table Tennis Federation

JEN Juba Education Network LIFE MCH Maternal and Child Health MEL Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning MFS Medefinancieringsstelsel (Dutch Government Development Funding Scheme) MIND Migrant women Initiatives in the Netherlands for Development NCA

NGO Non Governmental Organization OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OLPC One Laptop Per Child

Partos Branchevereniging voor particuliere internationale samenwerking in NL PHRC PSO Vereniging voor Personele Samenwerking met Ontwikkelingslanden

SADO Social-life and Agricultural Development Organization

SAG/Somali SANA SDF SEPROG Somali Education Promotion Groups SHW Social Health Worker SGBV Sexual and Gender Based Violence SomNGO Somali Non Governmental Organization's network SOMVAO Somalische Vereniging Amsterdam en Omgeving

SRF Somali Relief Fund TBA Traditional Birth Attendant TFG Transitional Federal Government TROCAIRE Development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland UIC Union Islamic Court UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Program

UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund USA United States of America WEC Women Empowerment Center WFP World Food Program WHO World Health Organization

Abudwaaq District in Galgaduud Awdal Region in Somaliland Baardheere District in Gedo



Banaadir Region in South Somalia Bay Region in South Somalia Berbera Port city in Somaliland Boosaaso Port city in Puntland

Boorama City in Awdal

Galgaduud Region in Central Somalia Garrisa District in north eastern region of Kenya Gedo Region in South Somalia Hargeysa Capital of Somaliland Hiiraan Region in Central Somalia Jigjiga District in Somali Regional Government area in Ethiopia

Qalaafe District in Somali Regional Government area in Ethiopia Kismaayo District in Lower Juba Lower Juba Region in South Somalia Lower Shabeele Region in South Somalia Mandheera District in north eastern region of Kenya Mogadishu Capital of Somalia Sanaag Region in Somaliland

Sool Region in Somaliland Wajeer District in north eastern region of Kenya Wardheer District in Somali Regional Government area in Ethiopia

hirda strategic plan 2011-2015 - het anbi register · this strategic plan for the period 2011 –...

Documents