Into The Breach
Few places test NGOs more than The Federal Republic of Somalia, whose 13.6 million residents cope with massive challenges. More than half live in poverty. Despite a long coastline on the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, the mainly hot, dry climate on the sub-equatorial Horn of Africa resists agriculture. Semi desert areas and low-yield expanses of grassland called thorn bush savanna compel Somalis to fashion demanding economic survival strategies, the Encyclopedia Britannica reports. About three-fifths of the population survive as nomads. The average life expectancy at birth is 52 years for a man, 55 years for a woman.
Upheaval and deprivation are relentless. “Power struggles between Somalia's federal government and its regional elites will pose a growing downside risk to political stability over the forecast period. Aid dependency and foreign military assistance will continue as weak institutional capacity, terrorism and climate-related droughts limit Somalia’s capacity to support itself,” warns the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Into this daunting breach marches Development and Relief Solutions, aka DRESO, an NGO established in 2014 to ease suffering in communities afflicted by civil strife and famine.
Co-founders Abubakar Moallim and Farah Osman know the local conditions very well. Both were raised and educated in Somalia. Mr. Moallim, who serves as executive director, earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Public Health. He supported setting up of education projects focusing on Youth Education program (YEP) that accelerated basic education in Somalia. Mr. Osman, DRESO’s Program Director, is a social worker with 20 years of experience. He has worked in the Horn of Africa with refugees, internally displaced people, underprivileged women and youth.
Mr. Moallim and Mr. Osman spoke recently via Skype with highschoolNGOconnect. They answered questions about their ambitious mission to promote human security, peace, humanitarian relief interventions and development among children, youth and women in societies torn apart and devastated by natural and human disasters and complex political emergencies.
What convinced you to launch DRESO?
Growing up in a country affected by three decades of conflict inspired us to start this community-based organization. A war zone exposes the worst forms of human suffering. Seeing underprivileged and vulnerable members of society without education, health care, clean water and sanitation spurred us to leave our careers to improve their circumstances.
What obstacles hinder humanitarian solutions?
The biggest obstacles are the absence of accountable government that can deliver social services; communities’ lack of purchasing power; conflicts and unfair resource distribution by humanitarian actors. In this environment, farmers cannot farm their lands, businesses cannot operate, schools cannot educate students, and residents must go without basic health care and clean water.
How do you pay for NGO activities?
Funding for basic services to the underprivileged and vulnerable community members imposes a big challenge for small organizations like DRESO. Many donors set stringent requirements such as previous experiences, which small organizations like ours may not have. To make ends meet, we rely on contributions from like minded youth; we mobilize the Somali diaspora; we tap the private sector for support by ensuring impact and accountability for every dollar contributed. Notable achievements include the construction and equipping of three community schools plus extra income for teachers and funds that supplement learning materials.
How do you know if you are succeeding?
Praise from the community, local authorities, community leaders, citizen groups and independent observers tells us that we are succeeding. Robust monitoring and evaluation practices seek constant feedback from direct and indirect beneficiaries. Frequent staff meetings keep tabs on individual and collective progress. Community engagement invites those we serve to air their feelings, aspirations and recommendations. Sustainability is a key measure of success, and our steady growth speaks to that.
How do you enlist people and resources?
We conduct lobbying and advocacy and engage well-wishers who commit time and services to DRESO. Our background story inspires many professionals to volunteer including government authorities. The ministry of health provides medical supplies to the health center and always encourages us to continue the course.
We attach a top priority to gaining the trust and confidence of all stakeholders. Our programs are community-designed and community-led. All our processes are participatory, involving as many stakeholders as possible and incorporating as diverse views as possible. We strongly believe creates a sense of ownership in the communities where we operate.
What do you hope people will say about DRESO?
We hope people will recognize an organization committed to improving local and global communities by helping people help themselves through sustainable humanitarian projects. We strive to create a respected organization whose solutions make us the first choice partner for communities we support. We aspire to see a strong, visible DRESO with global outreach operations and volunteers all over the world. To achieve this, we welcome partnerships with like-minded institutions, individuals, volunteers and well-wishers who share our goals.
