Organisation profile: Wadajiar Human Rights Development Network

The Wadajir Human Rights Development Network consists of a group of organisations: SOYCA, SOCSA, SWIMA and USWO. The organizations working in Somaliland aim to protect human rights, collect data in case of emergency, offer capacity building for other NGOs, educate communities about their rights and stop harmful traditional practices against human rights.

Background

The Wadajir Human Rights Development Network was established 1^st January 2011 by a group of organizations working with youth, women, media and local minorities.

Somaliland Youth Community Association (SOYCA) is non profit, non political organization. It was established in 2007 by a group of young teachers and intellectuals of both genders in Hargeisa town. The purpose was to participate in the reconstruction, reintegration and community development programmes, creating good partnerships among the local NGOs.

The main aim of this unification effort was to participate in community development, promotion of youth and women's rights through raising awareness in the communities, organizing and mobilizing women's rights through establishing strong networks among youth's and women's NGOs in Somaliland. Externally, the organisation provides capacity building training workshops for women's NGOs, fundraising for the member NGOs of SOYCA and strengthening co-operation links with the local authorities in Somaliland. SOYCA also strives for peace building and democracy in Somaliland.

SOYCA is dedicated to mobilizing young women and men to actively take part in the democratization process of the country. SOYCA has programmes in each of the six regions of Somaliland. SOYCA also collaborates with university students and offers internships to undergraduates.

SOYCA has registrations and letters of authorisation from different governmental institutions including; national registration; letter of authorization from the Ministry of Education; Certificate of registration dated in 10/09 from Ministry of mineral water and resources energy .

The organization has partnership with Muslim Aid Wales and implements projects with Oxfam, the Sahel and Hargeisa local municipalities.

Somaliland Women in Media Association (SWIMA) was established in January 2007 by a professional group consisting of women working in all aspects of media: writers, editors, photographers, journalists, novelists, graphic artists, web designers, TV producers and publishers. They work in the radio, newspapers, magazines, newsletters and also online.

SWIMA aims to provide women with access to knowledge and professional skills of media and communication technology. It also endeavours to defend and promote journalists' rights, freedom of the press, editorial independence and lobbies for media law reforms.

The women media professionals who established the organization share a goal of putting gender equity on the front page. The mission is to transform the mass media in the region by putting an end to the exploitative and negative images of women that dominate television, newspapers, and magazines and perpetuate social acceptance of violence against women. The group identifies itself as a space where women journalists throughout Somaliland can join together to advance awareness about gender and women's rights in the media.

SOCSA is a local, non-profit and non-governmental organization which operates in Hargeisa. Established in 2000, the organization is intended to address the social and economic problems the young people face. Unemployment, lack of Education, kat chewing, skin bleaching, FGC and HIV are just a few among the critical issues that disturbs the life and progress of local boys and girls. The main purpose of the organization is to transform local youth, provide them with opportunities and education, enhance their physical/mental wellbeing and help them participate in development activities and enrich with skills and knowledge to launch socio-economical predicaments. SOCSA existing programmes are supported by UNICEF, EDC/USAID, AED/USAID and OXFAM.

SOCSA works to support young girls, children, women and refugees on low incomes. SOCSA is committed to strive for young people to educate, empower, and provide skills and trainings, and physical education. This will help young people get motivated, educated and get the skills which they can contribute to the development of their communities and country. SOCSA is also involved in giving education, awareness campaigns, and mobilizing the community to address various problems including HIV/AID, FGC, gender violence, illiteracy and numeracy. Participatory methods such as drama and media are used to address the issues. One of the major campaigns the organization is involved with is ending the harmful practice of FGC in Somaliland. Through the community dramas and awareness raising, SOCSA has seen some progress in the fight to end FGC.

SOCSA has established the only resource centre for girls in Somaliland. Young girls as young as 11 years old come to the centre to benefit from the various activities and resources provided by the multipurpose centre. The SOCSA Youth Multipurpose Centre is a focal point for youth activities: basketball, internet, library, producing radio and television broadcasting programs, magazines etc. Being one of the cores of SOCSA programs, SOCSA Youth Multipurpose Centre was founded in 2005 and is designed to provide essential social services to young people, particularly girls. However, the Centre expects shortly to offer similar schemes for boys. The Centre currently provides the following services to girls:

1. Sports and recreational services, where girls enjoy appropriate space and facilities for both indoor and outdoor games

2. Multipurpose Hall, which hosts cultural activities, workshops and dramas

3. Library/Continuous Learning Centre, which accommodates NFE classes and a library which provides development and academic materials/texts.

4. Voluntary counselling and testing, which provides opportunities for youth to share information on FGC, STDs, HIV/AIDS and Kat/Skin Bleaching

5. Implementation of FGC, STD and HIV awareness raising programmes.