Young Somali farmers

Meet Asli Ahmed Omar, 19 years old Somali farmer at Moyko village, Jowhar district. Standing in front of her farm waiting for land preparation to begin her 1 hector farm. Tracks provided by Somgit’s research and development project. 

Asli, carrying out cultivation activity at her farm after receiving seeds, farming tools and training on good agriculture methods training by CED.

A unique NGO-private sector collaboration of CED and Somali Green Initiatives & Technology (SOMGIT) is giving Asli and other many young Somali farmers in Middle Shabelle an opportunity to be exceptional skilled farmers. An innovative CED and Somgit’s lease-to-own drip irrigation scheme.

Asli taking harvested maize crops on her shoulder to remove seeds from combs at her farm in Moyko village, Jowhar district in Middle Shabelle Region.

                      

Asli is delighted to harvest her maize farm, she carefully collects each comb form the harvest. Asli walking behind the donkey cart that carries her harvested maize crops home. She will remove the seeds from the comb and take it to the market for sale. The Stability Fund is proud to be a partner of an innovative youth-led development programme that bring stability in Somalia.

Editorial

A report by the Nairobi-based firm Wasafiri Consulting came across the Stability Fund’s desk this week, which looked at the challenges and opportunities for international donors of working with local organisations in Somalia.  It started with the quote by an un-named donor representative “If we are not there to build local capacity, what are we there to do?” and goes on to describe how “much investment in capacity building appears directed toward delivering donor projects, rather than improving local impact”.

The concerns highlighted in the report resonate strongly with the Stability Fund, where we view partnership with Somali organisations whether government, private companies, civil society or others as key to what we do.  That’s why this issue of the Stability Fund newsletter focuses on partnership – with the Prime Minister’s Office, with local government in Dhusamareb and Abudwak, with the company Solargen Technologies and the NGO AVORD.  In all of these cases, the ideas and decisions about where the money goes come not from the Stability Fund team, but from the various organisations involved and from the partnerships that have evolved between them.  What better way to build capacity and deliver local impact in Somalia than to put the decisions in the hands of Somali organisations?

Lighting up Dhusamareb

As Somalia stabilises, demand for energy is growing. This started in Mogadishu, but with the large number of returnees and increased business activity, the demand for energy is spreading across Somalia. Most Somalis do not have access to electricity. Instead their energy comes from burning wood or charcoal, or from petroleum. This energy shortage, compounded by the absence of a national grid, and combined with the destructive environmental effects of existing energy sources, means that innovation is needed to meet Somalia’s energy needs. 

Last year, the Prime Minister’s office approached the Stability Fund and asked for some help. They had been in touch with the local administration in Dhusamareb, which had requested support to instal street lights. The Prime Minister's Office had seen the impact street lights had in Mogadishu and were keen to help Dhusamareb reap the same benefits.  The Stability Fund grasped this proposal with both hands: one hand because we have seen the effect of solar street lights in Mogadishu, Galkayo and elsewhere, and the other hand as we saw something important in different layers of government coming together to deliver results for citizens. Working closely with the local administration and the Prime Minister’s Office, the Stability Fund visited Dhusamareb to assess feasibility and make sure that the community in Dhusamareb was supportive.  They were, and despite the difficulties of drilling into rocky ground in Dhusamareb, the project looked feasible.  Next we started our search for a Somali company to do the work.

The Stability Fund partnered with SolarGen Technologies, a Somali owned business based in Mogadishu, providing sustainable and cost-effective energy. With offices in Mogadishu, Kismayo and Nairobi, SolarGen operates across the south and central regions of Somalia. It has implemented projects ranging from off-grid installations for enterprises and homes, solar-powered street lights, and pumps for irrigation and drinking water. In order to implement these projects SolarGen has employed young, educated and well-trained Somalis. Though the potential of renewable energy technology in improving livelihoods is great, the high initial capital costs and meeting the growth in demand for energy has been beyond the reach of Somali start-ups. ‘Our partnership with the Stability Fund enabled us to leap over the capital investment hurdle that was inhibiting our ability to drive forward the installation of solar-powered systems. It helped us to catch up with the rapidly increasing demand of energy within Somalia’ says Aidarus Abubakar, Managing Director of SolarGen.

SolarGen has taken on the task of installing solar street lighting in Dhusamareb. The work is happening right now. A total of 118 lights will be located on the main road, market, hospital and police station. The locations were chosen by the district administration to improve the stability by increasing the community safety, and to demonstrate its ability to respond to citizen’s needs.

“We are delighted to be giving Dhusamareb town its first ever street lights  and in an environmentally friendly manner”, says Aidarus Abubakar, who is excited about the project and knows the huge impact it can have on the region’s stability, as well as on the growth of his business. SolarGen is now opening a new office in Hargeisa to serve customers Somaliland and to take another step on the road to achieving its ambition to become a leading renewable energy company in East Africa.

Inspiring the Youth of Beledweyne

One of the key challenges impeding Somalia’s recovery from decades of anarchy and violence is the alarming levels of unemployment. According to UNDP, the unemployment rate amongst the youth in 2012 was 67% across the country. With an estimated population of 172,000, Beledweyne has a thousands of unemployed youth. 

African Volunteers for Relief and Development (AVORD) is a promising Somali organization with big ambitions. Its philosophy is based on the understanding that local communities have inherent capacities to develop if they are equipped with the necessary skills. In line with this philosophy, AVORD is helping young people by training them on various skills that are in demand in local markets.

AVORD carried out a labour market survey which showed that skills related to construction industry were required in Beledweyne, the largest town in Hiran region. With Stability Fund assistance, and in collaboration with community leaders, local authority, private sector and other stakeholders in Beledweyne, AVORD established Tawakal Vocational Training Center. On October 1^st 2014, the center was stocked with highly qualified trainers and training equipment.  Over the past four months, 210 youth selected from various backgrounds attended the training program, and were exposed to extensive theoretical and practical sessions, covering four disciplines; masonry, metal fabrication, carpentry and electrical engineering.

Gradually, their lives are being transformed from living in the streets with limited prospects to productive lives with marketable skills and a whole new world of opportunity. Mohidiin Mohamed Hassan, 22-years old, attends the electrical engineering course. In a recent interview, he discussed how his training has positively impacted his life.  “Before I came here, I was quite desperate and my future appeared too uncertain. Every day I woke up, not knowing what to do or where to go next.” Mohidiin’s family, like many students at the center, could not afford to pay for his schooling and he therefore missed the opportunity to get an education.

“I felt I have a sense of purpose and a clear direction of where I am heading”, Mohidiin said.  Upon completion of this training, Mohidiin, like others at the center has a chance to earn an income for himself and support his family too. The Tawakal center has become a hub in Beledweyne, a place where companies come to recruit skilled workers. Mohidiin, is one of 12 trainees who have already been offered a part-time job opportunity by Dayah Power Supply, a local business.    

The six-month training program will end this month. AVORD plans to establish a social enterprise to serve Somalia’s growing construction industry and guarantee the continued operation of the center without relying on grants from the Stability Fund or other donors. The enterprise will play a critical role in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by war while creating jobs for its graduates.

In partnership with the Stability Fund, AVORD is contributing to local stability by creating alternative income sources for young people – helping to give them better prospects in life. As the center grows, Abdinasir Nur, the director of the center, is enthusiastic and hopes it will have a lasting impact. “We have adopted a different approach whereby youth are trained and provided with continuous mentoring and coaching as they commercialize their new skills. The entire project team and the AVORD family are determined to sustain the initiative for years to come by creating a viable business that delivers skilled workers into the local labour market."

Flood mitigation in Abudwak

The city of Abudwak is located in northwest of Galguduud region in central Somalia. Most of the people are pastoralists herding camels, cattle, sheep and goats. The city is situated near rich grazing lands, and boasts one of the largest animal markets in the region. The economy is growing, with the construction of offices, warehouses and private homes on the rise. Abudwak and the surrounding area, with its characteristic red sandy desert look, sit in a basin area which is usually flooded by the intense rain that comes twice a year. However further into the grazing lands near the border with Ethiopia's Somali Province, one finds forest and mountains where thousands of camels are herded.

The federal and local government jointly appealed to the Stability Fund to provide support to establish a drainage system to address perennial flooding in Abudwak. Through local consultations, we found that the community wanted to enhance the system that had been installed the previous year with support from local businesses and the Danish Refugee Council. The existing generator, pump and pipe drainage system had worked reasonably well, but lacked the capacity to cope completely with the scale of flooding.

Working closely with the local government, the Stability Fund purchased a high capacity generator and pump. We contracted OPEC, a local Somali construction company, to conduct the excavation and construction work. This involved the construction of an underground storm water collection tank and plumbing works from this tank to an elevated tank, which is in turn connected to a drainage network. With the construction work complete, the generator and a heavy duty pump were installed. This is a step towards a longer-term solution for dealing with flooding in Abudwak and has brought immediate relief of a problem that was impacting negatively on economic activity and public health. It has been delivered thanks to cooperation between the local administration and the federal fovernment.

The Stability Fund is proud to work with government and the community to serve citizens in Abudwak district. The commitment shown by those involved in the process was inspiring and the Fund will continue to support the region through a variety of new investments. 

Editorial

This edition of the Stability Fund newsletter highlights the diversity of the work we do in Somalia and the different approaches we take to identifying and implementing projects.

The ‘Lighting up Galkayo’ initiative is an example of our area-based work, where we aim to contribute to governance and peacebuilding in a particular part of Somalia – a city or a region for example.  In Galkayo, the Stability Fund is aiming to support projects that bring north and south together to ‘Think Galkayo, Act Galkayo’. The first of these was solar street lighting – a line of light connecting south to north.

The SOMGIT drip irrigation project is an example of our sector-based work.  This time last year, we published a call to Somali businesses to develop ideas for contributing to stability.  SOMGIT, one of two successful applicants, is now helping farmers in Middle Shabelle improve their livelihoods and is introducing new farming technologies to increase productive capacity.

Our support to the process of forming the Interim South-West Administration is an example of the Fund’s ‘Government Window’ work.  The Government Window – currently funded by the UK and Sweden – enables the Federal Government to identify specific stability, conflict reduction or local governance objectives it wants to achieve and, with Stability Fund help, realise those objectives. In this case, the Federal Government requested Stability Fund assistance to support the negotiations process in Baidoa, which led to the formation of Somalia’s newest interim administration.

It is through these three approaches – area-based, sector-based and Government Window – that the Stability Fund makes difficult decisions about how to contribute to reducing conflict and strengthening governance in Somalia.

Lighting up Galkayo

Galkayo is Mudug region’s capital, strategically located in central Somalia. Characterized by a semi-arid landscape, the region offers suitable climatic and geographical conditions for livestock and is populated largely by pastoralists. Goats, camels and sheep graze on dry, brown grass as herders sip tea and take shade from the piping hot sticky heat.

The city’s location gives the town importance on numerous socio-economic matters in Somalia. A lively trading city, Galkayo on the main trade routes between southern and northern Somalia as well as to the Somali region of Ethiopia. Moreover, Galkayo is a hub of calligraphic art, serving as a training ground for local visual artists.

On 11^th November 2014, an inauguration ceremony was held to mark the completion of the solar street lighting installation by the NIS Foundation, in partnership with the Stability Fund. This celebrated the illumination of 50 solar street lights installed at key locations near or around the infamous ‘green line’.

This mythical line that divides the city was a product of a peace deal signed in the mid-90s after fierce fighting between the two main inhabiting groups; Puntland now governs North Galkayo whereas South Galkayo is under the Galmudug administration.

The handover ceremony was organized with the intention of bringing the divided communities together, marking the completion of a mutually beneficial project. In attendance were the Mayors of North and South Galkayo, members of the city council, elders and business communities, women’s groups and peace advocates, all from both sides of the city.

Speeches from both Mayors reinforced the need and appetite for dialogue between the two communities in order to bring peace and development to the region. The Mayors reiterated the need for officials from both sides of the city to plan and act together to help unite feuding factions under the slogan ‘Think Galkayo, Act Galkayo’.

Women leaders from Galmudug and Puntland also spoke at the ceremony. Regular dialogue between women from both communities has fostered a positive relationship and a strong support framework for local development. Men were reminded of the legacy of Somali Youth League heroes and other key Somalia figures from Galkayo who played a key role in Somalia’s independence and self-governance.

“We don’t want to be widowers, lose our boys, raise orphans or spend a lifetime tending to fatally wounded young men. We want a better life so let’s not repeat the old mistakes and let us take advantage of this kind of opportunity. We want men to think about this’’, said Dhudhi Yusuf, a women’s leader.

Speakers reiterated the benefits of a joint implementation approach, which steered the authorities towards dialogue and coordination. In contrast with other dialogues convened as a result of killings or camel raids, this is the beginning of a community dialogue between north and south based on positive and mutually beneficial development.

The installation of solar street lighting in Galkayo marks just the beginning of Stability Fund support for economic growth and conflict resolution in the region. The Fund is now considering further initiatives to address priorities identified by the Mayors and city councils from both sides of the divide.