About Havoyoco

---

WHAT IS HAVOYOCO?

The Hargeisa Voluntary Youth Committee (HAVOYOCO) is a development organization founded in 1992, which respects the dignity and rights of the community by working through grassroots mobilization and participation. It addresses primarily the needs of youth, children, and women with social services, skill training, income generation, and advocacy initiatives in Somaliland.

Since 1981, Somaliland has had continuous political problems. Between 1981 and 1988 the Somali National Movement resisted the dictatorship of Siad Barre. Then, from 1988 to 1990, the resistance broke down into a total civil war, leading to Siad Barre’s overthrow in January 1991. In May 1991, the people of the north declared an independent Somaliland. A new government was established, but it was not able to meet any of the basic needs of its people because of the massive destruction of virtually all infrastructures including schools, bridges, roads, health services, businesses, and power systems. Since then, security has improved, the government has started several initiatives, but still many sectors need help from the international community. This includes increases in family income to meet the basic costs of living. The war also left an increase in homeless children, orphans, and female-headed households.

HAVOYOCO was created by the youth of Hargeisa to help these people, based on the philosophy that it is the community itself who can best create sustainable solutions to its problems. HAVOYOCO has developed a working relationship with a wide range of stakeholders, international organizations, donors, local institutions, and communities. HAVOYOCO’s current operational strategies include community mobilization, participation, and organizational capacity building. The emphasis of these strategies is on long-term sustainability.

HAVOYOCO’s goals and objectives are to promote and empower the community to attain a sustainable livelihood; create a network for information sharing for all youth groups in Somaliland;

rehabilitate and reconstruct the community following civil war; forge links of co-operation and solidarity with national and international NGOs networking in form with similar objectives to HAVOYOCO; and raise awareness of and advocate for needy target groups among concerned people.

THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF HAVOYOCO

In June 1991 a group of youth from different tribal and social backgrounds organized themselves to respond to the sad situation in newly independent Somaliland. They established a group named SOLYO (Somaliland Youth Organization) whose membership reached 180 men and women within two months. It was difficult for SOLYO to extend its activities and ideas from the capital, Hargeisa, to the other districts and regions in the first year. Therefore, on 23rd August 1992, the group organized themselves again and established the Hargeisa Voluntary Youth Committee (HAVOYOCO). HAVOYOCO learned from the past year’s experiences and decided to start development programs that would assist the country’s reconstruction.

In the beginning, HAVOYOCO participated in peace-making and reconciliation activities to resolve the Somaliland clan conflicts. HAVOYOCO also tried to provide some social services since the government institutions were not yet functioning. HAVOYOCO collected cash and in-kind contributions from the community, which they used for weekly garbage collections from the streets of Hargeisa. During its first year, HAVOYOCO operated with donations and resources from its members. HAVOYOCO continued those activities until the formation of the second Somaliland government in Borama in May 1993. By mid-1993, HAVOYOCO reviewed its activities in light of the new government. They decided to implement projects for the community funded by other donors. HAVOYOCO then gradually began projects, including rehabilitating the Hargeisa football stadium, and campaigning for cholera, TB, and HIV/AIDS

awareness with UNICEF, WHO, SCF-UK and the Ministry of Health.

Since then, HAVOYOCO has implemented 51 projects funded by external donors and has successfully completed dozens of other community development activities as volunteers. HAVOYOCO has developed substantial partnerships with the Somaliland government, other local organizations, umbrella groups, and international agencies. They have not only supported HAVOYOCO’s project, but also the organization itself in terms of capacity building support, exposure visits, and in collaboration through joint activities.

CURRENT PROJECTS

Circus Hargeisa is the most well known youth project that HAVOYOCO runs. Over 30 children from different villages and clans of Hargeisa, including 5 street children, are involved in the circus. During 1998, Circus Hargeisa performed 15 shows to a total audience of over ten thousand people. Some performances were in collaboration with other organizations in which different messages were conveyed to the community about landmines, the value of peace, children’s rights, civil protection, and health. The circus has also performed regularly during African Child Day. Circus Hargeisa is a technical partner of Circus Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. Novib has funded this project for 3 years.

During 1999, Circus Hargeisa performed 16 shows to a total audience of over ten thousand people. Some performances were in collaboration with UNICEF, CARE International, Action Nord-Sud and Radda Bernen in which different messages were conveyed to the community about the problems of chewing chat, landmines, the value of peace, children’s rights, civil protection and health. The circus has attracted the attention of the community, government officials, and local media including TV and newspapers.

HAVOYOCO’s Vocational Training Center was established in 1998 to provide vocational skills to youth from low-income families. The center teaches several vocational skills including carpentry, auto mechanics, metalworking, and masonry. In addition to the vocational training the youth receive, they also receive literacy and numeracy training and counseling to help them find jobs or start cooperatives upon completion of the training. Seventy unemployed, uneducated youth between the ages of 16 and 25 participated in its first year; in its second year, the center has diversified its training and increased its enrollment. This year, training in office management and typing has also been offered to young women, and electrical wiring has replaced auto mechanics. Enrollment has increased to more than eighty youth. This project was first funded by CARE, and is now supported by UNHCR.

The long term of the project is “to improve the socio-economic conditions of the participating low-income families. The intermediate

objective is to provide the youth with vocational skills that will enable them to enter to self-employment in the areas of carpentry, masonry, metalwork, electricity , office management and typing.

In an effort to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, HAVOYOCO has established a vocational training center in 1999. Fully accredited by the Ministry of Education, the VTC offers a six months term program In 1999 89persons graduated from the center in carpentry, masonry, metalwork, electricity, office management and typing.

The Street Children Rehabilitation Center provides food, shelter, literacy classes, counseling, and assistance in family reunification to the street children of Hargeisa. This is HAVOYOCO’s oldest running program; in 1998 it opened a larger center for the children directly across from the HAVOYOCO office. The World Food Program has been supporting the project through food donations since its inception in 1994.

HAVOYOCO believes that children need more than just food and a place to sleep. In addition to the food that HAVOYOCO provides street children, all of them receive free literacy classes from a HAVOYOCO volunteer. Four children were transferred from HAVOYOCO’s literacy program to government schools this year; eight are part of the Circus Hargeisa performing group, and another nine are receiving training in the Vocational Training Center. In addition to these measures, the children receive long-term counseling which continues even after the children have been reunified with their families. This counseling ensures that the children keep off the streets and out of local gangs.

A Soap Making Project, the long-term objective of the soap-making project is to improve the living conditions of targeted young women and men on sustainable basis was funded by Novib. The short term objective of the project is to enhance the capacity of the target groups to improve their living conditions with the jobs and income generated by the project. The project is aimed at generating the running costs of the organization. It makes an attempt to make it possible for HAVOYOCO to try to be self-funding development organization, as a result, the project involves new area of engagement for HAVOYOCO. The project will employ ten persons as soap producers,


provide initial capital for ten persons (,000 each) for collecting and processing/refining the animal fats required by the plant; and engage thirty persons in marketing and distribution of plant produce.

Oxfam Canada (HOACAP) funded a project focused on enhancing HAVOYOCO’s capacity. The objective of the project is to improve HAVOYOCO’s public image. As a result, promotional materials were produced and distributed. T-shirts with organizations vision statement, a calendar with organizational logo and stickers have been produced and distributed.

In terms of networking, two senior staff visited Ethiopia for a 15 days exposure visit. The team met with different organizations, both national and international NGO’s operating in Ethiopia. Another two teams visited Berbera and Borama. They met with different local organizations and shared information and experience with them.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

In addition to the projects funded by outside donors, HAVOYOCO also works on the following programs:

AIDS Awareness Since 1993, HAVOYOCO has been the only local voluntary organization that works on AIDS awareness in Somaliland. HAVOYOCO has made a lot of progress in educating people about how AIDS spreads among the community and how to prevent it. In 1999, HAVOYOCO published more than 500 copies of handouts about the dangers of AIDS. HAVOYOCO volunteers organized an AIDS awareness workshop at a local school. A team of HAVOYOCO staff toured Togdheer region and organized a one-day workshop on AIDS at the Red Crescent Health School where more than 100 students participated

The National Committee on AIDS that was established during the year under review and identified HAVOYOCO as the focal organization for prevention of AIDS and 21st October as the Youth Day for Fighting AIDS. During the year an organizational unit responsible for AIDS prevention was also established.

World AIDS Day: - On December 1, 1999, HAVOYOCO organized the main celebration of World AIDS Awareness Day in Somaliland at Khayria Public Square. More than 200 copies of HAVOYOCO’s AIDS booklet were distributed. Many people attended including officials from the Ministry of Health and Labor, The Mayor of Hargeisa, UN and international agencies and local organizations (schools, sports teams, and police and military units). Except for funding from ICD for AIDS Day, all of HAVOYOCO’s work on AIDS is done by the staff as volunteers.

African Child Day: - African Child day is marked on 6th June every year. It is meant to be the high spot of a year-long information and awareness raising activities on child rights that are conducted all over the Africa

On 6th June 1999, in collaboration with TOGOYOVO, a local NGO, and HAVOYOCO organized the main celebration of African Child Day in Burao, Togdheer Region. Circus Hargeisa performed a show to a total audience of over two thousand people in which child right messages were conveyed to the community.

The Youth Department has been the leader in the formation of coordinating support for Children in Difficult Circumstances in Hargeisa. HAVOYOCO has been working with UNICEF, the Ministry of Youth (MOEYS), Hargeisa orphanage, and other youth groups to advocate for youth through a nation-wide conference, workshops, and publications. HAVOYOCO is also a member of the Somaliland’s Convention on Child Rights (CRC) committee.

Women’s Activity: One of prime target groups of HAVOYOCO is women. HAVOYOCO has established a woman development department as early as 1993. The department’s objective is to develop women by responding to the basic and strategic needs of women. HAVOYOCO is a member of Negaad Women Umbrella Organization

During 1999, a new Women Development Officer has been hired. The Development Officer has established links and good networking relationship with women development organizations in the region.

HAVOYOCO’S COMPLETED PROJECTS

(Project name, Sector of project, Funded By, Date Completed)

1 Hargeisa Sanitation, Sanitation, Community, December 1992
2 Hargeisa Tree Planting, Rehabilitation, HAVOYOCO, December 1992
3 TB Pamphlets Publication, Health, SCF (UK), March 1993
4 AIDS Pamphlets Publication, Health, SCF (UK), March 1993
5 Youth Problem Symposium, Youth, UNOSOM/ HAVOYOCO, July 1993
6 Sports Mobilization, Youth, HAVOYOCO, December 1993
7 Militia Demobilization Symposium, Youth, HAVOYOCO, March 1994
8 Boy Scouts, Youth, UNISOM/ HAVOYOCO, March 1994
9 Hargeisa Football Stadium Rehabilitation, Sport, UNHCR/GTZ, March 1994
10 Youth Handbook Publication, Youth, UNOSOM , April 1994
11 Street Children Development- 1st Phase, Youth, ODA/DFID, October 1994
12 Role Play- Cholera, Health, UNICEF/WHO, November 1994
13 Garabis Qoranic School Construction, Education, UNICEF, January 1995
14 Seyla Qoranic School Construction, Education, ODA/DFID, July 1995
15 Mental Center Food Supplies, Health, Red Crescent, July 1995
16 AIDS Pamphlets Publication, Health, SCF (UK), December 1995
17 Office Equipment, Capacity Building, ODA/DFID, December 1995
18 Food for Destitute Women, Women, GTZ, December 1995
19 Office Equipment, Capacity Building, GTZ, March 1996
20 Sport Material Distribution, Youth, ODA/DFID, April 1996
21 Revolving Food Loan, Micro-credit, IRC (USA), April 1996
22 Nature of Conflict Symposium, Youth, HAVOYOCO, July 1996
23 Power and Principles Conference, Education, FFP, September 1996
24 Street Children Development- 2nd Phase, Youth, ODA/DFID, November 1996
25 Book Resource Center, Education, CAA, December 1996
26 Nutrition Survey, Health, ODA/DFID, December 1996
27 World AIDS Day, Health, Ministry of Health, December 1996, December 1998
28 Nature of Conflict in S-land Conference, Youth, SL Peace Community, Jan 1997
29 Grant Fund, Micro-credit, Swiss Group, June 1997
30 African Child Day, Youth, ANS/UNICEF, June 1997
31 Family Reunification, Youth, Puerte Ouvere, September 1997
32 Sports Problem Identification, Youth, Oxfam UK, November 1997
33 Somaliland Youth Survey, Youth, UNICEF, Bune 1998
34 Circus Performances, Youth, UNOPS, July 1998
35 Women's Literacy Project, Education, Swiss Group, May 1998
36 African Child Day, Youth, UNICEF, June 1998
37 Grant Fund II- Micro-credit, Swiss Group, June 1998
38 Street Children Tailoring, Youth, CAA, August 1998
39 Institutional Support - Core Funding, Capacity Building, Novib August 1998
40 Distance learining, Capacity Builing, CAA August 1998
41 World AIDS Day, Youth, HAVOYOCO/ICD, December 1998
42 Apprentice Training for Self-Employment, Youth, CARE, May 1999
43 Literacy For Minority Groups, Youth, Novib, August 1999
44 Bookbinding and Paper-making, Youth, CAA, July 1999
45 Somaliland LNGO Capacity Building, Capacity Building, ICD, August 1999
46 Construction Latrines in Berbera, Sanatation, UNHCR, October 1999
47 Vocational Training for Returnee Youth, Youth, UNHCR, January 1999
48 Institutional Support- Core Funding, Capacity Building, Novib, August 1999
49 Child Right Advocacy Activity, Children, Radda Bernen, December 1999
50 Sh. Nour School Construction, Education, SCF/HAVOYOCO, January 2000
51 Aggenda Of Youth and HIV/AIDS, Youth, UNICEF, Octber 2000


LEADERSHIP/ PARTNERSHIPS

The leadership of HAVOYOCO is composed of two bodies, the General Assembly, and the Board of Directors. The General Assembly consists of the founders of the organization and it meets bi-annually to elect HAVOYOCO’s leadership and review the direction of the organization. The Board of Directors is very active in the organization’s leadership. Its role is to lead all aspects of the organization, including its budget, strategic planning, and fundraising. It meets regularly to make decisions about the organization above its day to day activities. The project managers, department heads, and the Executive Director comprise the HAVOYOCO Management Team. They meet weekly and provide a network for information sharing. They are responsible for designing, implementing, managing, and monitoring all of organization’s projects on a daily basis.

The members, leadership, management, and staff of HAVOYOCO come from very diverse backgrounds. Some of the professions they come from include health, education, engineering, management, business, and economics. Several of the members have worked with other international organizations, including NGOs and UN agencies, before they came to HAVOYOCO.

HAVOYOCO has partnerships at many different levels. Their local partners include other LNGOs, umbrella NGOs, ministries, and the municipality. In particular, HAVOYOCO has close relations with the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports, and well as several others. On an international level, HAVOYOCO is a partner of CAA, Oxfam Canada, Novib, CARE International, World Food Program, and ICD. Over the past six years, HAVOYOCO has received funding from over a dozen international agencies. It networks with many other regional, international, and UN agencies on a regular basis to share information, implement joint projects, and collaborate in workshops and conferences. A complete list of the organizations that have funded HAVOYOCO is on the previous page.

As ICD representative…I am glad to see this youth organization achieve its marturity in full confidence” – Dr. Aden Y. Aboker, ICD Hargeisa.