“Through these years of Somali hardship, it was the diaspora organisations that filled the gap of social services vacated by the central government, like basic education and basic health” writes Fatumo Farah, executive director of the Himilo Relief and Development Association (HIRDA). On May 30th, HIRDA and Doses of Hope (DoH) celebrated their 10th anniversary with a conference on Social Remittances. At the Hoog Brabant Conference Centre in Utrecht, around 100 participants from non-profit organisations, government, research institutions, media and the diaspora communities participated in discussions on “Diaspora Social Remittance and its role in building equitable and sustainable societies back home”. In the afternoon, HIRDA presented two documentaries on its work in the central and southern regions of Somalia. Members of Parliament Chantal Gill’ard (Labour Party) and Kathleen Ferrier (Christian Democrats) both spoke at the conference. Together, the organisations presented a conference statement to the cabinet about the importance of diaspora organisations in development.

Versatile

For the past ten years, HIRDA has been active in numerous projects, ranging from setting up vocational schools to human rights promotion. DoH focuses on another facet of Somalia’s development, namely, economic development. DoH microfinance projects focus on low income groups. The particular strength of the program is that it takes a group approach which greatly increases social cohesion within the communities. HIRDA and DoH are testament that financial remittances are not the only means through which the diaspora are contributing to the development of their countries, but that they are also actively shaping the social and economic contexts in which they operate.

High impact

The contribution of the these Somali organisations has had considerable impact on the ground. Academic performance of marginalized groups such as orphans have dramatically increased over the years. Access to information and empowerment of the communities are also greatly strengthened, allowing locals to take larger stock over their lives and livelihoods. With head offices in Somalia, HIRDA and DoH are also able to create larger ownership and sustainability for their initiatives. The organisations also function as a source of emergency relief during natural disasters. The biggest contribution that HRIDA and DoH make is creating a systematic structure through which the Somali diaspora can make a difference: “We play an important role in sharing experiences and creating platforms for discussion in networks of migrant organisations” says Farah.

To learn more about HIRDA, please visit their website www.hirda.org

To learn more about DoH, please visit their website www.dosesofhope.org