Organisation profile: The Somaliland Youth Community Association (SOYCA)

Background

After the collapse of the former Somali State, a wide range of civil society groups have emerged. The traditional elders, religious leaders, Community Based Youth Organizations, business groups, women's organisations have become active in playing their role in the development of the society.

Local NGOs proliferated in the vacuum throughout the country by setting themselves up as social service delivery agents. They addressed the areas of agriculture extension, public health, education, water and sanitation, vocational training, micro-credit schemes, human right, women's income generating schemes, gender balance, care of orphanages, peace building schemes and rehabilitation of community infrastructures.

Policy and Objectives

The Organization's main focus policy is the development of youth and women, by helping all that need help regardless of age, tribe, etc. The most pressing needs of the groups are identified through meetings with community leaders and possible solutions are worked out in partnership with them.

Its main objectives are:

To advocate women and child rights.
Empowerment of women and youth through women/youth rights education and providing basic gear for generating income.
To create and organize institute co-operative capacity building programs for all women and youth that are living in the organization's areas of intervention
To demobilize constructively the youth former militias and help its respective communities from insecurity situation through the development and promotion of communities centre services and maintenance of cultural value and integration of socio-economic activities.
To ensure the protection and care of PLWA and child neglect
To institute and implement all international agreements such as these basic human rights, and national requirements for stable, secure and well governed administrative relating in all Somali territories.

Mission and Core Values

SOYCA works for the empowerment of women, youth and vulnerable groups in the community through education, human rights awareness, en

vironmental protection, education on harmful practices and promotion of health standards.

The four core values of the organisation are:

Respect for Indigenous Knowledge

Respect for the positive Somali traditional values

Respect for religion and for tradition

Protection of Staff Dignity and professionalism

Areas of work

Women and Youth empowerment through education both formal and informal
Capacity building training sessions on Women Rights, Peace building and Human Rights (Conflict management resolution, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Civic education, Introduction of Democracy and democratic principles, Prevention of violence against women, gender fairness)
Creation of income generating activities through Youth and Women Skill training
Promoting the economic security of small-scale entrepreneurs
Provision of safe child delivery through and the reactivation/construction of Mother and Child centres.
Eradication of the negative social attitudes and traditional practices harmful to women such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) through awareness raising and training on the hazards of such practices.

Projects implemented

Completed Awareness on HIV/ AIDS project in Berbera sponsored by the local Authority of Berbera.
Completed Awareness on HIV/AIDS project in Hargeisa sponsored by the Local Municipality
Completed Capacity Building Project in Hargeisa sponsored by Oxfam Nairobi
Completed Visit Exchange and on job training Project for CSO funded by a local Human Rights organization based in Mogadishu
Garbage Collection and environmental sanitation mobilization Project sponsored by SOYCA
Ongoing Informal Education project for youth and women sponsored by SOYCA organization