Center for Education and Development

The Center for Education and Development (CED) is a Somali organization that has been working in Somalia since 1992. Based in Mogadishu, CED has branches in the various regions across Somalia.  The organization has promoted sustainable livelihoods through developing and implementing forward-thinking policies in education and community-led-development.

CED has an active and productive partnership with various stakeholders, including the Federal Government, community representatives, local authorities, private institutions and the youth. The organization is currently implementing the Community and Youth Based Economic Recovery and Stabilization (CYBERS) project in newly-liberated areas in Middle Shabelle region.

CYBERS aims to build practical capacity for the youth to generate incomes, centering on agricultural value chains and rural enterprise development skills. Individual skills development activities will be supplemented by provision of business development services, establishment of farming cooperatives and rehabilitation of key public infrastructure assets – canals, feeder roads, water wells and markets.

Through an innovative NGO-private sector collaboration with Somali Green Initiatives & Technology (SOMGIT), CED will support the implementation of SOMGIT’s lease-to-own drip irrigation scheme in the Middle Shabelle region. This enables CED to connect young people to new farming methods, whilst utilizing its close links with the local community to help Mogadishu-based SOMGIT establish trust with its future customers.

With a mix of immediate infrastructure rehabilitation work and farming skills development, the CYBERS program will create short-term employment whilst enhancing local capacity for longer-term, sustainable livelihoods and job creation. The program is also designed to engage youth in the upgrading of public infrastructure assets and in conflict resolution mechanisms to support stabilization and peace building in Middle Shabelle.

The Stability Fund is delighted to be working with CED to help communities in Middle Shabelle to rejuvenate public infrastructure and create new livelihoods via a youth-led development programme. The Fund is also working with CED to improve its financial and other risk management systems in order to assist the organization in attracting more direct funding from donors, instead of relying on sub-contracts from INGOs.