Our Programs

  

SDWA focuses on six core program areas and three cutting issues primarily integrated into the other core
program areas:

 

• Gender equality and women empowerment
• Peace Building and Conflict resolution interventions
• Capacity Building/Education support Program
• Protection and Advocacy Program
• Community Integrated WASH and Nutrition/Health Program
• Environmental Preservation Program
• Livelihood program

  

1. Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Program

 

The inequality of women and men due to traditional gender roles and power relations that place women and girls in a disadvantaged position relative to men and boys in Somalia is a barrier to the country’s peacebuilding, and recovery process from fragility and development. The poor representation of women in leadership, economic and social decision-making, silencing, subordination, and favoring of a male child for education over a female child continues to impede equity that lessens and obstructs effective development. To implement this program in Somalia, SDWA is aimed at establishing women agents of change and local women networks formed among women activists from the grass root level, groups from among the students in the universities and secondary schools in Somalia and enhancing their capacity.

 

SDWA will collaborate with women-led organizations based in the country of residence (Denmark), and
fight against gender imbalances, gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, early marriage, and other forms of abuse based on gender.

 

Objectives:

 

• To reduce the rate of gender-based violence and other forms of abuse based on gender.
• To reduce the rate of girls’ early marriage.
• To reduce the rate of female genital mutilation practices to zero.
• Promote culture of zero tolerance against sexual exploitation and abuse at organizational and institutional levels either governmental or humanitarian including private sectors.
• Increase women and girls’ participation in Political decision-making processes as well as socioeconomic opportunities.

 

2. Peace Building and Conflict resolution interventions

 

Peacebuilding and improving stability are paramount ingredients to Somalia’s sustainable development and conflict resolution interventions from grass root level are critically important for the country’s transition from fragility and decades of conflict. The insecurity and instability are burial to Investment and economic growth. Thus, SDWA with the assistance of its partners will focus on women/girls, youth, and other underprivileged members of the community’s inclusive peacebuilding and conflict resolution interventions through:

 

• Women-to-women, and youth-to-youth peacebuilding programs
• Empowerment capacity building for peace pioneers, peace committees, and traditional leaders
• Conflict mediation dialogues from grass root level for the conflicted and disintegrated local clans

 

3. Capacity Building/Education Support Program

 

SDWA will support vocational training centers that provide informal education and skill training for women and youth groups. On the other hand, will work on Increasing enrolment and retention of school going population (aged between 5-18 years) with special emphasis given on gender equity and inclusiveness, while addressing sociocultural barriers that hinder the enrolment of girls and children with special needs through awareness and promotion of girl education programs.

 

Also, SDWA will provide psychosocial training to teachers in IDP sites and other emergency-affected areas
and psychosocial outreach to children through child-friendly spaces and integrated life-skills-based
approaches. Whilst, facilitating the availability of adequate and relevant basic education materials, kits, and supplies.

 

4. Protection and Advocacy Program

 

a) Advocacy

 

SDWA will apply media groups as tools for advocacy and public campaigns to address issues that affect the most vulnerable groups and gender inequalities. SDWA advocacy with governments, NGOs, CBOs, CSOs and members of the civil society, and other relevant stakeholders and parties to the conflict to promote adherence to IHL and human rights law, with emphasis on humanitarian concerns. Also, SDWA will advocate for gender equality and women/girls empowering policies including banning harmful practices towards women such as female genital mutilation practices.

 

b) Prevention of Gender-Based Violence and response

 

SDWA GBV prevention strategy is aimed at strengthening the communities enabling them to prevent violence by carrying out awareness, outreach activities and information sharing that SDWA can provide survivors of gender-based violence with adequate service and counseling support services. Also provides response mechanisms to survivors such as psychosocial support, medical referral, legal aid assistance, and livelihood support as well as relocation and shelter.

 

c) Child Protection

 

SDWA focuses on the holistic development of children its protection and rights, following interventions are planned over time including child rights education and protection awareness at different levels and
with different stakeholders. Development of safe learning places for children at schools, hospitals, and community centers. Children confidence building programs walks, sessions, campaigns, and training complemented with the development of children groups and developing leadership skills in them.

 

d) Legal Aid Program

 

Women and girls including children are often at-risk for abuse, rape, violence, early marriage, and other kinds of human rights violations. Also, the victims from the marginalized households are not able to apply for legal assistance due to limited financial capacity and sometimes pressure from society, harassment, and defamation.

 

SDWA will provide legal aid assistance complemented with counseling and constant awareness to respond to such human rights violations with the objective:

 

• To reduce the ratio of women and children, victims, from society through the assistance of legal aid and counselling

 

e) Human Rights Promotion

 

At the human rights promotion program, SDWA will promote women’s rights to participate in policy decision making, rights to education through awareness and capacity-building programs, documentation of human rights abuses, and breaking silence programming.

 

5. Community Integrated WASH and Nutrition/Health Program

 

SDWA will deliver health, nutrition and water/sanitation and hygiene programs in integrative approach and that is why these programs are put together.

 

a) Primary Health care and HIV Prevention

 

SDWA will focus in here; the establishment of community health centers, MCHs at both rural and urban areas in which communities’ access to basic health is limited with a special focus on vulnerable groups such as women and children, through mobile clinics or strengthening of existing services. Despite the health centers, awareness campaigns for HIV prevention, reproductive health; life skills-based education and sexual rights. Also, SDWA is aimed at educating women on transmission mechanisms, prevention for the HIV/AIDS related illnesses through girl to girl, youth to youth and women to women initiatives to enhance reduction of STIs and HIV Aids, and will provide testing, counseling, medical and nutritional support for the people living with HIV/AIDs to reintegrate them with the society.

 

b) Nutrition Program

 

To reduce the rate of malnutrition and child mortality, SDWA will promote integrated nutritional circle programs from Community outreach, OTP, SFP to stabilization care. Also, SDWA will promote appropriate infant and child feeding practices.

 

c) Water, Sanitation, and Promotion of Hygiene Program

 

Increase access to sustainable water and sanitation services to reach the most vulnerable targeted areas and population. Increase awareness among target population and support in connection with safe environment and hygiene issues to reach them. Empower local community institutions and WASH authorities in target areas in managements of water and sanitation facilities.

 

6. Environmental Preservation Program

 

There is unprecedented environmental destruction everywhere in Somalia because of the felling of trees as fuel wood for domestic use, and particularly, the indiscriminate burning of our meager forest resources by unscrupulous traders for the purpose of exporting charcoal to the Gulf Arab states. According to the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Peter de Clercq, “Between 2011 and 2017, 8.2 million trees were cut down to make charcoal,” and he said that “Every 30 seconds a tree is cut down to make charcoal in this country.” The scourge of plastic bags which cling to the trees and starve them of oxygen, the pressure on the carrying capacity of the rangelands due to a sharp increase in livestock numbers and desert encroachment, the cyclical droughts and occasional floods, and a host of other factors have had, and continue to have, a devastating effect on our environment.

 

The environmental degradation is within the scope of a costly rehabilitation program that can reverse it, but Somalia has not had the resources to achieve a dramatic reversal of the trends. Thus, sensitization campaigns and step-bystep physical rehabilitation measures will be developed to contain further deterioration of the environment. Also, SDWA will join others in championing tree planting and inspiring communities to desist from cutting existing trees and felling the natural forest trees, destroying the vegetative cover of the soil, and planting new ones wherever and whenever possible that will involve establishing tree nurseries sites in the most deforested areas. On the other hand, alternatives to firewood such as solar cookers, biogas, cooking briquettes, and fuel-saving stoves will be introduced to the communities. Other activities will include monitoring signs of environmental degradation such
as soil erosion and gully formations because of run-off water.

 

Also, a conservation farming system designed to protect the environment by efficiently managing water, soil fertility, and biological resources will be introduced. Instead of water running off of fields causing erosion, the water is retained in the field by the mulch and percolates into the soil for the crop to use. Soil fertility and biological activity is enhanced as nutrient cycling breaks down the mulch and incorporates this organic residue into the soil for the crop to use. The only possible negative environmental impact could be the cutting down of trees to protect the community farming plots which will be sorted into wire fencing.

 

7. Livelihood program

 

a) Food and NFI distributions

 

SDWA in close collaboration with international agencies and the Somali Diaspora will distribute food, Non-Food Items, dignity kit, and solar lanterns to the IDPs affected by both manmade and natural disasters.

 

b) Asset creation programs

 

SDWA asset creation and rehabilitation programs aimed at protecting and improving household food security,including asset base will be designed and provided to local target beneficiaries through increasing access to small-scale crop and vegetable farming and the creation of alternative viable options of production.

 

Other programs:

• Research and Consultancy Programs
• Micro-enterprise Development Program