Over the past 30 years, Somalia has faced widespread violent conflicts, leaving communities displaced, livelihoods destroyed, and essential services weakened. Many internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been forced to leave behind their homes and protections, moving into camps or host communities, where they face continued vulnerability to poverty, malnutrition, and insecurity. Women and children, in particular, are disproportionately affected, facing risks such as sexual and gender-based violence and psychological distress.
The Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA)/Adkeeysi, a five-year project led by Save the Children in partnership with Fondazione AVSI, Shaqodoon, and GREDO, and funded by the US Government, targets 54,000 households across Mogadishu and Afgoye. The project uses a locally adapted Graduation Approach to strengthen social capital, enhance human capital, and improve resilient livelihoods. Its focus on community-led structures and local decision-making exemplifies localisation in action, ensuring that resilience efforts are owned, managed, and sustained by the communities themselves.
Empowering Communities
Leyla, a 36-year-old mother displaced to Ceeb Diid IDP settlement, is a clear example of the program’s transformative impact. Previously surviving on minimal income from selling sour milk, she struggled to feed her children. Through community-led identification and enrollment, she received monthly cash support, a dedicated EVC SIM card, access to VSLA and savings mechanisms, coaching, and entrepreneurship training. Leyla describes her experience as the moment she “felt included and valued again,” adding, “I want to grow my business, educate my children, and show other displaced women that we can rebuild with the right support.”
Leyla selling sour milk at the market, empowered through RFSA/Adkeeysi support and local coaching.
In Hawo Abdi host community, Dahaba, a 35-year-old mother of seven, leveraged her election to the Grievance Handling Committee to strengthen community accountability. After receiving training in complaint resolution, conflict sensitivity, and inclusive communication, she led her committee to successfully resolve 18 complaints and mediate 15 disputes during registration exercises, restoring trust between IDPs, host communities, and local authorities. Community members now affirm, “We trust the committee because they listen to us and stand for fairness,” highlighting how women’s leadership can foster social cohesion and resilience.
Dahaba leading her committee to resolve community disputes and restore trust between IDPs, host communities, and local authorities.
Youth participation is another critical success of the program. A young man in Ceeb Diid, previously idle and frustrated, was empowered through local coaching and financial literacy support. Through VSLA group participation, livelihood guidance, and mentorship, he started a micro-enterprise aligned with his skills. His transformation from dependency to productivity illustrates the program’s focus on inclusion and youth empowerment.
Across all target communities, RFSA/Adkeeysi has strengthened social capital by forming trusted, community-led committees; enhanced human capital by developing skills in entrepreneurship, savings, and financial literacy; and improved livelihoods, helping households transition from fragility toward self-reliance. The partnership ecosystem, including SCI, AVSI, Shaqodoon, and GREDO, ensures context-sensitive implementation, while local authorities, elders, women, youth, and persons with disabilities actively shape and guide the program.
“GREDO’s localization approach is not just a principle — it is a pathway to sustainable resilience,” said GREDO Executive Director Alinur Ali Aden.
By empowering communities to lead their own transformation, RFSA/Adkeeysi demonstrates that locally led, inclusive approaches can build stronger households, resilient communities, and a more robust humanitarian ecosystem in Somalia.