HIRDA Himilo Relief & Development Association Annual Report 2013 1 ‘You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.’ Mahatma Gandhi 2 CONTENTS 1. Message from the Director 2. Somalia in 2013 3. HIRDA in 2013 4. HIRDA’s programmes I. Health II. Education III. Gender IV. Relief & Livelihood VI. Sports VII. Lobby and Advocancy 5. Future Plans 6. Financial Statements 7. Organizations Structure 6. Partners and Funders 3 HIRDA: by Somalis, for Somalis Message from the Director Since its inception, HIRDA has had many successful years and 2013 was no different. The last year has been a particularly good year for HIRDA as we celebrated our 15th year of existence. 15 years of serving hundreds of thousands of people in Somalia and helping them to lift themselves out of poverty. It was a great moment to look back at what we achieved and to look forward and see the challenges ahead of us. As detailed in this report, our work their diplomas at the schools we helped during 2013 reached vulnerable establish and support. After they take communities in South, Central, and this first step they often manage to get a Northern Somalia. In South and Central university degree or are able to grow in Somalia, we provided access to water, life in another way. The graduates – sanitation, and healthcare. We mostly armed with their degrees - later empowered women, we reconstructed give back to the community. schools and supported orphans. Our swift response to the tremendous 2013 was also a year for a growing suffering in Puntland region of Somalia number of Somali diaspora worldwide to saw us deliver vital aid to hundreds return to Somalia. It is a slow and careful affected by the tropical cyclone. process, but the trend is there. The desire to meet friends, neighbors and One of the things we alI look back at with family again after the long period of war, great pride this year, was the mediation is stronger than the difficult by the women in Abudwak city, in Central circumstances of life in Somalia. Although Somalia. They brought peace and things are slightly better than previous reconciliation in their region. HIRDA years, everybody knows life is still harsh. supports this great group of women, as they managed to ease the conflict It is my hope that the Diaspora who between two warring groups in Central returned to Somalia, will participate in Somalia. the political arena and contribute positively to the stability and Something that makes us equally proud development of the country. are all the young people who received 4 The HIRDA team and their supporters at the fifteenth anniversary As a dynamic organization, HIRDA keeps As always, I want to thank all our adapting to emerging trends, in Somalia stakeholders for their contribution and and in other parts of the world. We are encouragement. Our donors and changing the way we work so that we use supporters have been vital in making it our resources most efficiently. We are possible to take action and thus building a new international structure contribute to a Somalia where people live closer to the beneficiaries that we serve – in harmony, without hunger, where as demonstrated in the establishment of a people have equal opportunities and new regional office in Nairobi. where people can make their own choices in life. The structural funding of HIRDA by the Dutch Government will change in 2015 Fatumo Farah and we are already seeking opportunities Director to meet this challenge. Stimulating economic empowerment will become more important. 5 Somalia 2013 Somali resilience has led to the situation that civil society, NGOs, religious groups and the private sector are still doing an impressive job in maintaining some services such as telecommunication, education, and health and water. Somali development and humanitarian services collapsed, livelihoods were indicators are among the lowest in the disrupted and large numbers of people world according to the UNDP in the were displaced. Somalia Human Development Report 2012. Data in that report: life expectancy Despite all this, Somali resilience has led in Somalia is 50 years, up from 47 in to the situation that civil society, NGOs, 2001, over 70 percent of Somalia’s religious groups and the private sector are population is under the age of thirty and still doing an impressive job in maintaining over 60% of youth have intentions to some services such as telecommunication, leave the country for better livelihood education, and health and water. opportunities. The report also notes that Somalia ranks as one of the worst Though these services fall well short of countries worldwide for women. Gender- what is needed and many are focused on based violence and discrimination against urban areas and hence don’t reach the Somali women is widespread. rural poor, the situation would have been even worse without them. Somalia is experiencing decades of conflict and persistent high levels of Moreover, Somali ingenuity, together poverty. Some 43% of Somalis live on less with the remittances has been than $1 per day and 73% live on less than instrumental in creating new private $2 per day. Only 22% of primary school sector initiatives in this uncertain age children are in school and 22% of situation, preventing even deeper children die in the first five years of their poverty. Women contribute to the life. Following civil war and the final economy with many small businesses. downfall of the central government in Nevertheless women’s representation 1991, much of the public infrastructure and participation in governance at all were destroyed in the early 1990s, social levels is low. 6 INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT In 2013 two international conferences because Somalia was, for the first time took place, one in London and one in since the war 22 years ago, recognized as Brussels. The latter, was truly important a legitimate state. A lot of development and hopeful. The international aid was pledged (1.8 billion euro’s) to community met at the conference “A support further political and sustainable New Deal for Somalia’ and unequivocally economic development in the country. gave its confidence to the new Somali Also the Dutch foreign policy has included government. It was a major breakthrough Somalia in its regional focus. The result of the seemingly endless war in Somalia 7 THE RETURN OF THE DIASPORA With Somalia becoming slightly stabilized, were once dubbed the “Pearl of the more and more Somali Diaspora Indian Ocean”, are once again members are returning to Somalia. hosting visitors. Mogadishu is booming with construction and since the beginning of 2013 many The diaspora is thus boosting the economy Somalis have returned from countries like significantly. This is a very positive trend; the USA, UK, The Netherlands, Sweden, Diaspora members that have gained Germany and neighboring Kenya to help knowledge and expertise in their host rebuild and develop their country of country are now using that knowledge to origin. Some have given up well-paid jobs rebuild the economy and the society. In and a secure existence to help in the order to make sure that also the poorest reconstruction of their home country. and most vulnerable benefit from these resources HIRDA takes an important role in The few airlines that fly to Mogadishu are redirecting the flows to and support rural fully booked for weeks in advance. The and marginalized groups (particularly legendary beaches of Mogadishu, which women and children) in Somalia. HIRDA especially focusses on children 8 Girls at schools operational CHELLENGes Although the overall security situation in the people in need, you need to spend Somalia has improved in 2013 compared a lot of time convincing different fractions to the previous year, clashes between of your own neutrality. This was rival factions continued to occur time consuming. frequently in 2013 in our operating areas. We have not been able to reach all 2013 was also a difficult year in terms of people we intended, due to the highly access. As a neutral organization, HIRDA insecure situation, especially in the is committed to providing assistance to Bardera district. The health care condition people in need no matter where they live. of villagers outside the towns is However, access to affected populations worrisome and also the distance between has been hampered by the raging conflict the various towns and the villages is a big in Mogadishu and Gedo region. Parties hurdle, to bring the help they need. involved in the conflict have hampered Creating awareness in the communities access to the affected populations. about nutrition and healthy living By conducting indiscriminate attacks, practices is most important. they’ve violated humanitarian law and Having mobile teams visiting the different impeded humanitarian access. villages has been proved effective and this should continue. The nomadic The situation remains tense and the lifestyle of Somalia’s rural population also political fragmentation worrisome. makes regular immunization programmes The reality is that if you want to have an difficult to implement. impact on the ground and reach out to 9 SOMALIA DJIBOUTI AWDAL SANAG BOSSAASO BOSrama BARI ERIGAVO HARGeysa W.GALBEED BURAO TOGDHEER SOOL las ANOD GAROWE NUGAAL ETHIOPIA GALKayO MUDUG AbudwaK DUSAMAREB GALGADUD BAKOOL HUDUR BELETWEYNE HIIRAN GARBAHAREY JalalaQCI GEDO A Y BANADIR EN K BAY Cold Chain BARDERA MOGADISHU SAKOW Water 2012 Campaign M.JUBA catchement agains malaria L.SHABELLE HIRDA office Stabilisation Center 2012 Campaign (also in Nairobi) for malnourished measles children vaccination Mother and Child Outpatient L.JUBA Health Centers: Health Treatment School KISMAAYO care for pregnant Programme women and children. for children Food Women Peace Football Distribution Empowerment Tournament Center 10 HIRDA in 2013 HIRDA stands for Himilo Relief and Development Association.